Female Leafe Knight Kirei
by Invisible Love
Summary: Sequel to Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear. Follows the life of Sakura and Hiro's daughter, Kirei. Full summary inside!
1. Chapter 1:Kirei Awayuki, Mischief Master

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: …..**

**Hiro:…..**

**MuraSakura: …..**

**Hiro: ….What the HELL? I thought you were DONE with your madness, woman!**

**MuraSakura: So did I! BELIEVE me; I'm just as freakin' shocked as you are! B-but my Muse just took over! I couldn't stop it!**

**Hiro: ….You've been reading over your old fanfic, haven't you?**

**MuraSakura: Err…can I plead the Fifth on that one?**

**Hiro: Oh geez, here we go…**

**MuraSakura: Aw c'mon! You can't tell me you're not the LEAST bit happy about me continuing where I left off? My writing skills have improved significantly!**

**Hiro: Why should I care? From here on out, I'm only going to be a minor character. Let's just hope you don't go psycho once again and go on a massive killing spree at the end…**

**MuraSakura: (Smirks) No promises, dude. (Lightning flashes) BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! I am BACK, BABY!**

**Hiro: RUN WHILE YOU CAN! …If anyone even still follows you. You haven't updated in years.**

**MuraSakura: (Cringes) I know, and I feel bad about that. I miss the giddy feeling I used to get when people would read and review!**

**Hiro: (Rolls eyes) All your "fans" have probably outgrown the site you post on and have gone off to do more productive things with their lives.**

**MuraSakura: SO? That only means that I can accumulate NEW fans!**

**Hiro: …Who will have NO idea what this story is about, considering that they'd have to have read the first story in order to know what's going on…**

**MuraSakura: …Quit trying to bring me down, damn it! (Brandishes Daddy Frying Pan at Hiro) ANYWAY, it is official that I am certifiably INSANE for plotting a sequel to this story, but here goes any way! If you're a new fan, welcome! If you're an old (and still faithful) fan, welcome back! If you haven't read the first adventure of Sakura and Hiro, or if you need a refresher course, please look up ****Legend of a Golden Princess Pretear**** and read that first before you continue this one!**

**Hiro: Do Hiniku or Tenshi even know what your sick and twisted brain is up to this time…?**

**MuraSakura: Nope! But I'm sure they will eventually. BWAHAHAHA! XP**

**Hiro: Oh boy…I'm getting a headache-inducing sense of Déjà vu…**

**MuraSakura: Just sit back, shut up, and enjoy the ride, Hiro. (Smirks) NOW, onto—drum roll please—the DISCLAIMER!**

**Kirei: (Pops up out of nowhere) Hey, what's going on?**

**MuraSakura: Ah! Perfect timing! Kirei, do the disclaimer please!**

**Kirei: ….The what now?**

**Hiro: Pfft. Newbie.**

**MuraSakura: (Huffs) Nevermind, I'll do it. AHEM! I, the authoress of this humble fanfic, do not own Pretear in any way, shape or form, nor do I own Kai Hiwatari from Beyblade, or the characters of Tenshi Hiwatari or Hiniku Musika (as they are now known, heh heh heh…). I merely own Original Characters such as the Second Generation Leafe Knights, the Third Generation Leafe Knights (as they will be introduced), and any other characters in this fic that I do not disclaim!**

**Hiro: This is really happening isn't it…**

**MuraSakura: Damn right! CHAPTER ONE: START!**

**Kirei: …I'm not really sure what's going on, but let's go!**

**Hiro: Kill me now…PLEASE.**

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER ONE: KIREI AWAYUKI, MISCHIEF MASTER**

_The sky was radiant today; a vibrant blue that could only be seen on a joyous occasion. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun was dazzling to gaze at from overhead._

_So Kirei didn't understand: why, today of ALL perfect playing days, were they at a __**grave yard**__?_

"_Momma, I want to go home," she complained for the umpteenth time, tugging against the woman that had a firm grip on her small hand. The woman flipped dark hair out of her dark-skinned face and frowned disapprovingly at her daughter._

"_Kirei, behave. We're here to pay our respects to your grandparents today," Sakura scolded lightly, her voice firm and unsympathetic to Kirei's wants. Kirei pouted._

"_But I've never even MET them," she continued to whine, "why do I have to be here too?"_

"_**Kirei**__."_

_Kirei winced at the warning growl and fell silent. She knew better than to push it when her mother used that tone. But it still didn't change her attitude, and she exhaled nosily, causing her bangs to become aloft for a few short seconds._

_Kirei's father, always the more lenient parent, chuckled and ruffled his daughter's hair._

"_We're only saying hello, Kiddo," he promised, addressing Kirei by the pet name he'd given her when she was born. "If you're a good girl, when we get back, I'll have a sparring match with you in Leafenia later."_

"_Really? YAY! You better keep your promise, Daddy!" Kirei cheered, hopping up and down excitedly._

"_Great. Now she'll be that more antsy to leave," Sakura grumbled, shooting a disgruntled look at her husband. "You have no back bone, Hiro."_

_Hiro grinned handsomely, and Sakura blushed despite herself. "Only when it comes to you and our children, Saku," he said, leaning over to kiss his wife on the forehead. Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep from smiling at her husband._

"_Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope the next batch doesn't get spoiled rotten, right?" she prayed, placing her free hand on her rotund belly and rubbing small circles on it. She winced slightly as she did this, something that didn't go unnoticed by Hiro._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Ah, nothing…they just like to kick. Ugh, Hiro, if I had known that you being a twin predisposed you to produce twin offspring…"_

"_Hey, don't look at me! You're the one who jinxed it when you first found out you were pregnant!"_

"_Did not."_

"_Did too."_

"_Did not!"_

"_Did too!"_

"_Mooommaaa! Daaaddyyy!" Kirei moaned, placing a hand over her face. Thank goodness no one was around; her parents were _so_ embarrassing._

_Clearing their throats, Sakura and Hiro composed themselves once more, just in time for them to reach Hiro's parent's gravestone. Engraved on the Awayuki headstone was this epitaph:_

"_Himeno and Hayate. Beloved siblings, parents, and friends. Their legacy of bravery and greatness will live on 'till the end of time."_

_Kirei, being seven years old, could read just fine for her age. But as she read the engraving on the headstone, she was tripped up by big words, like "beloved" and "legacy"._

"_Momma," Kirei pestered, tugging on her mother's dress as Sakura and Hiro clasped their hands and closed their eyes to pray to Hiro's parents._

"_Shh, Kirei," Sakura urged, frowning in concentration. This did not deter Kirei; this only made the little girl tug harder on her mother's dress._

"_Momma, what's a leg-acey?" Kirei persisted; her cute face frowned up when her mother ignored her. So, she turned to her father and started tugging on his pants leg. "Daddy, what's a leg-acey?" she asked again._

"_A legacy is a sort of a story that people pass on, to be told to their children, and the children after them," Hiro muttered from the corner of his mouth._

"_You mean, like a fairy tale?" Kirei questioned, her maternally-inherited chocolate brown eyes sparkling in wonder._

_A snort of laughter escaped her mother, and Kirei turned around to see her mother looking down on her with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Something like that," Sakura responded, taking Kirei's hand once again. Having finished paying her respects, she waited for her husband to be done, and then the family took their leave, traipsing across the fallen leaves that carpeted the ground._

"_How come I've never heard a fairy tale 'bout Gramma and Grampa?" Kirei wanted to know, looking adorably disgruntled. Hiro laughed at the expression on her face._

"_You have, Kiddo. You just didn't realize it, because we never mentioned their names," he explained, taking Kirei's other hand and, with Sakura's help, began to swing their little girl between them. Kirei's frown deepened at this piece of news._

"_I wanna hear the story again!" she proclaimed, "the whole thing, this time! With no names changed or nothing!"_

"_Anything," Kirei's mother reflexively corrected._

"_Yeah, that! And you have to tell it to me tonight!" Kirei demanded._

_Sakura and Hiro exchanged a long glance, and then gazed back at their eager, expecting daughter._

"_We'll tell you the story," Hiro promised slowly, much to Kirei's delight, "…but, not now."_

"_Awww!" Kirei instantly fussed._

"_We'll tell you…someday," Sakura qualified, before her daughter could get too rowdy, "someday, when you're old enough, we'll tell you the whole thing."_

**

* * *

**

**APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS LATER**

It was just another day on Awayuki Island. Inside the Awayuki Mansion, as the maids were tidying up and attending to their chores, a melodic voice could be heard from one of the rooms. The young mistress of the mansion was awake, it seemed, and she was getting ready for school. The maids always knew what kind of day it would be, based on whether the young miss was singing or not. If she was singing, it was going to be a good day. If she wasn't…well, let's just say the maids were highly thankful for every day that the young miss started out singing.

"_Wake up tired, Monday mornings suck!_" sang a teenage girl, her slender but well-developed figure bouncing around her room as she readied herself for the morning. Her mocha skin was tinged slightly rosy from the shower she just had, and now she busied herself with putting on her school uniform as she sang.

"_It's way too early to catch a bus._

_Why conform without a fuss?_

_Daddy, Daddy, no! I don't wanna go to school! Whoo!_

"_I don't need to read Billy Shakespeare!_" Kirei belted out, brushing out her brown and auburn-streaked hair before putting a portion of it into her trademark side ponytail on the right side of her head. She then gripped her brush handle like a microphone and began singing into the mirror on her vanity set.

"_Meet Juliet, or Mavolio!_

_Feel for once what it's like to rebel, now!_

_I wanna break out, let's goooooo!_"

"A-HEM."

Kirei swiveled about abruptly to see her mother standing in the doorway, wearing that same exasperated and amused look she always wore when she had to deal with something Kirei was doing that annoyed her, but at the same time, reminded her so much of herself.

"Oh! Eh heh…hi, Mom," Kirei greeted sheepishly, dropping her brush behind her.

"Hun, while I think it's amazing that you're able to project your voice so well," Sakura began, striding in and taking a seat on Kirei's bed, "I _really_ don't think it's necessary to be able to hear you from across the mansion every single morning."

"Sorry," Kirei apologized humbly, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. Honestly, she knew where her mother was coming from, but she always felt that her singing was a gift, and when her mom told her to keep it down, it made her a little sad, like an insuppressible part of her was being smothered.

Sakura seemed to understand her daughter's feelings, for she left the bed to come over and pat Kirei's head, trying to be careful not to mess up her daughter's hair. "I'm not saying you have to stop completely," she assured her daughter, "just…not so early in the morning, okay? You know I enjoy my sleep, and your father—"

"Ah, yeah, I get it, Mom," Kirei cut her mother off, cringing. Kirei and Hiro had already had this talk the last time one of her parents had to come in and remind her to keep it down. Her dad usually wasn't a stickler, but apparently, her Aunt Hitori had kept him at their grandmother's cosmetics company late into the night one night, and he had only gotten two hours of sleep before Kirei's dulcet tones had roused him. His exhaustion, plus his irritation with his twin sister, had caused Hiro to become very irritable with Kirei, and he reamed her out almost to the point of tears. He apologized later that day, but still, Kirei had been scarred. After that incident, she had tried very hard to keep her singing from reaching the other side of the mansion.

But, even so, she always managed to forget.

"See that you try to remember longer this time then, kay?" Sakura advised, mindful of her daughter's forgetful nature. Placing a kiss on her eldest child's head, Sakura strode out of the room, pausing in the doorway long enough to ask Kirei to wake her siblings up before she headed back to bed.

Sighing, Kirei grabbed her school bag and slung it over her shoulder before she left her room. Humming the rest of "Billy S." under her breath, she made her way down the end of the East Wing of the mansion. Two letters adorned the double doors: one, a pink and flowery "H", and the other, a bold, blue "K". Kirei ignored these letters, for she had seen them so many times that they blended into the door now. Unceremoniously, she kicked open the double doors and flicked the lights on as soon as she was inside the room.

"Hana! Kaze! Time to get up!" Kirei called, clapping her hands loudly.

The figures in the beds opposite each other did not move. Kirei sighed gustily, making her bangs fly up before settling back onto her forehead. There was a reason her mother constantly wanted her to be the one to wake up the twins: it was because they were the most troublesome children to wake.

'_Well, they were warned,_' Kirei thought to herself, deciding to improvise. Setting her bag down, Kirei stood with her feet apart and eyes closed, inhaling deeply as she found her center. Focusing all her energy, Kirei rose her arms, a hand raised palm-forward for each bed. Lowering three fingers on each hand so that only her index and middle finger stuck out, Kirei waved her hands in spiral motions. She knew the desired effect was achieved when she heard screams of shock and terror. Smirking, Kirei opened her eyes.

Her twin siblings were suspended in midair, thanks to the twisters Kirei just created. Both were swirling around and around and, judging from their voices and faces, Kirei was pretty sure they didn't appreciate it one bit.

"KIREI! QUIT JOKING AND PUT US DOWN!" Kaze cried, upside down in his twister because he must have been sleeping with his head at the foot of the bed again.

"PLEASE, KIREI-NEE-SAMA!" Hana cried, clutching her nightgown over her legs for fear that it would fly up in the strong gusts.

"You guys gotta learn to get up the first time you're called!" Kirei scolded her siblings, but nonetheless did as they asked. As she stopped waving her hands and lowered her remaining two fingers, the twins fell back in their beds. But Kirei wasn't afraid of them falling asleep again. They knew better by now.

"Jeez!" Kaze immediately griped, popping out of bed and rushing Kirei, who merely put a hand on his forehead to keep him at bay. He still tried, however, his limbs flailing in vain to reach Kirei. "One of these days, I'm gonna catch YOU off-guard, Kirei!"

"Uh-huh," Kirei yawned, having heard this speech too many times, "how about you save the threats for when you're actually _tall_."

"I'm not short! I'm only ten!"

"Whatever."

"Y-you're mean, Kirei-nee…" Hana hiccupped, coming over to pout tearfully at her older sister.

"Sorry, Hana-chan," Kirei apologized, letting her brother go so she could hug her sister, "but like I said, you guys have to learn to wake up the first time you're called. Now since you don't wanna do it the easy way, we have to do it the hard way every time."

"B-but I can't help it…" Hana sobbed, rubbing her eyes as she cried. Guilt tugged at Kirei's heart for being so mean, but really, she saw no other way to effectively wake them: she and their mother had tried _everything_ they could possibly think of. Nothing but Kirei's wind powers worked well enough.

"Come on, it's time for breakfast," Kirei announced, and at once Hana cheered up. Kirei hid a smile. That was one quirk about her sister that was dependable: no matter how upset Hana might be at the moment, if you tempt her with food, she'll get over it quicker than you can apologize.

"Hey Kirei," called a sinister sing-song voice from the door way, and Kirei turned around to find Kaze holding her school bag. Kirei's chocolate irises instantly narrowed, and she approached her brother slowly.

"Give me my bag, Kaze," she commanded, a hand outstretched for it. Her brother pulled down his lower eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Make me!" he challenged before running down the hall, cackling with glee. Gritting her teeth, Kirei took off after him, with Hana bringing up the rear, but only after the breakfast she was promised.

"KAZE! I'm NOT in the mood to play games with you today!"

"Ya shoulda thought about that before you tossed me in the air this morning!"

"What are you—hey! Don't go through my bag!"

"Oooh, what's this? Your DIARY? Do you write about your BOYFRIEND in here? Let's take a look…"

"Why you little—"

"AAAAHH! NO FAIR, PUT ME DOWN!"

Yep, it was just another day on Awayuki Island, in the Awayuki Mansion.

* * *

As Tanaka drove the three Awayuki children to school, Kirei was steadfastly ignoring everyone else in the car by listening to her iPod at maximum volume. She hummed along to the songs instead of singing along to them, remembering her mother's wish for her to be more courteous of others when she was singing. But really, why should she suppress her beautiful singing voice in the first place? She was going to be a star for it one day, after all!

'_I can see it now,_' Kirei thought dreamily, imagining the cliché scene for a pop star: a brightly lit multi-colored stage, millions of fans chanting her name, which was also up in lights above the stage. And there was Kirei, clad in a fabulous outfit that would make other teen idols weep with jealousy. She grinned and waved as she jumped onstage to tumultuous cheers and applause. And when she sang, only her voice could be heard, for it was so beautiful that none of her fans could bear the thought of possibly singing along and ruining the purity of the experience of hearing Kirei sing…

…Kirei tended to keep this fantasy to herself, because other people laughed when they heard it, unfortunately. But why couldn't it happen? Sakura always told Kirei that she could be anything she wanted to be as long as she set her mind to it. So, really, nothing was stopping her from becoming the super-adored pop idol that she yearned to be! So HA HA to the laughers and naysayers!

Kirei was brought out of her little fantasy by the car slowing to a stop and the back door opening.

"Hi, Phoenix!" Kirei chirped brightly, taking out an ear bud and turning around to greet her cousin. As he slid onto the seat next to Kaze, Kirei couldn't help but marvel once more at how much her cousin looked like her uncle Kai. From his hair to his eyes to his build to his triangled face, Phoenix was a spitting image of his father. But then he smiled at Kirei, and she had to admit that his smile was inherited from Aunt Tenshi, his mother.

"Hey, Kirei. Did you finish your homework for Physics class?" he asked after greeting the twins. Kirei blinked blankly at him.

"We had homework?" she finally responded with surprise.

"Don't tell me you forgot…" Phoenix groaned, giving his cousin a hopeless look.

"Ha ha! Baka Kirei can't even _do_ her homework, let alone _remember_ it!" Kaze snorted with glee.

"Don't make me come back there, brat," Kirei growled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Can't we get along for just one morning…?" Hana pleaded, her large brown eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"NO," came Kirei's and Kaze's reply, their menacing eyes locked on each other. Hana sighed and Phoenix laughed nervously.

"Here we are, Miss Awayuki and Mister Hiwatari!" Tanaka announced at last, pulling up in front of Awayuki High. With a "thank you" to Tanaka, Phoenix exited the car, dragging along an irrate Kirei, whom was desperately trying to get at her little brother for making faces at her from the window.

"Honestly, Kirei," Phoenix sighed once he released his cousin, "you can be as bad as your mom sometimes. You shouldn't let Kaze get to you so easily; he's only a kid."

"He's a brat!" Kirei exclaimed, angrily stamping her foot. "You should have left me there to teach him a few manners!"

"No way," Phoenix denied as they made their way across the school grounds, "knowing you, you would've found some way to make a scene, and the _last_ thing you need is your mother throttling you for causing an otherworldly commotion with your wind powers."

"I'm not _that_ bad…" Kirei grumbled, silently cursing her cousin for being right.

"Yeah, sure…yo, Heisei!" Phoenix called, greeting a tall boy whom was leaning against a tree nearby. The boy glanced up from the book he was reading, oblivious to the girls whom were drooling over him the next tree over. He pushed away from the tree and strode over to Phoenix and Kirei, fixing a stray lock of black hair that escaped from its proper place on his head.

"You're late," he said in lieu of a greeting, pushing his black-framed glasses farther up the bridge of his nose as his hypnotic violet eyes surveyed the cousins.

"Sorry, the twins were giving me trouble this morning," Kirei apologized briskly; this scenario happened often enough that she need only say the word "trouble", and all was forgiven. "What are you reading today?"

"Wuthering Heights," Heisei answered, glancing down at the book tucked under his arm.

"Again?" Phoenix teased.

"It's not my fault you haven't the sense to enjoy a great piece of literature more than once. Kirei, come here," Heisei suddenly commanded of Kirei, whom was walking ahead of them. She spun on her heel, giving him a curious look.

"What's up?" she asked when he approached; she had to tilt her head back slightly to look into his face, even though she was 5 feet, 7 inches.

Heisei didn't reply. Rather, he gripped her chin and tilted her head to the side. "You have sauce on your cheek," he told her and, without warning, he licked it off. Kirei's face exploded with red, and she jumped back from him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shrieked at full volume, earning the attention of the whole school yard.

"Just trying to assist you," Heisei said, totally unfazed by her reaction. As he readjusted his glasses, his gaze shifted to a point behind Kirei. Suspicious, she glanced over her shoulder to find a group of guys a distance away were staring at her and Heisei. The looks on their faces alternated between longing towards Kirei, and loathing towards Heisei. Finally getting it, Kirei turned back to Heisei, her cheeks bloated from pouting.

"Will you _stop_ doing that kind of stuff every time you find some guys looking at me?" she demanded of him. Honestly, she'd heard of overprotective brother-type figures, but _this _was_ ridiculous_!

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Heisei claimed, his poker face in place as he glanced away.

'_Liar!_' Kirei's thoughts accused.

"Guys, we're going to be late," Phoenix pointed out nonchalantly; he was used to Heisei's antics by now, so it really didn't affect him anymore when his best friend harassed his cousin.

"Mou!" Kirei sighed in exasperation as they entered the school building. As if she didn't have enough trouble getting a boyfriend _already_, what with her overprotective father and her brat of a brother scaring away any guy she ever had a remote interest in! Life just wasn't fair.

"Oh, Awayuki-san!"

Kirei turned at the sound of her name. Heading towards her was a senior boy, with coiffed black hair and blue eyes that could make any girl swoon. Kirei was surprised that he was singling her out, because he also happened to be the idol of the school.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kaneiro-san?" she asked politely as he approached her. Yuki Kaneiro grinned one of his to-die-for grins, and a girl nearby that happened to get blasted by it from behind Kirei actually fainted. Kirei, however, remained unfazed.

"I told you that I would return these to you," he answered, handing a notebook over to Kirei.

"Oh, my History notes," Kirei recognized as she took the notebook, "I had forgotten I had lent these to you."

"Yeah, and they were a big help," Yuki replied with another grin, "thank you so much."

"Oh, no problem," Kirei replied with a smile of her own.

Heisei not-so-subtly cleared his throat behind Kirei, which annoyed her. Yuki took the hint, however. "Well, I've gotta go. Thanks again for your help, Awayuki-san," he bade goodbye, turning and heading back the way he had come. Once he was out of sight, Kirei rounded on her friend.

"Quit being so rude, would you?" she grouched as they continued their way down the hall, "you're getting as bad as Tochi."

"Tochi is eight years old," Heisei pointed out, "therefore, every action of _his_ is seen as cute and non-threatening."

"I'm impressed, Kirei," Phoenix butted in when Kirei opened her mouth to retort, "the worshipped idol Yuki Kaneiro came up and spoke to you, and you didn't even drool. How did you suddenly get the ability to control yourself around hot guys?"

"First of all, I do _not_ drool over every hot guy I see," Kirei corrected with a frown at her cousin, "and second of all, because I don't find Kaneiro-san all that attractive."

Heisei and Phoenix came to a sudden halt, unbeknownst to Kirei, who kept walking. The hallway had also gone eerily silent, as if Kirei had uttered something totally forbidden to speak of. Sensing that all was not well, Kirei turned around slowly to find Heisei, Phoenix, and pretty much everyone else in the hallway staring incredulously at her.

"…What?" she wanted to know, her tone becoming defensive.

"…_You_ don't find _Yuki Kaneiro_ attractive? At all?" Phoenix questioned, his tone mirroring his expression. Kirei bristled at this treatment, feeling like she was being treated like a pariah for no good reason.

"Why? Do you?" she quipped sarcastically.

"No, but the whole female population at this school is head over heels for him," Phoenix pointed out as he and Heisei returned to Kirei's side. She rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"The whole female population, save for one: me. So I don't go gaga for him like all the other girls, sue me."

"It is a little strange," Heisei spoke up, his gaze surveying Kirei as if she were a fascinating science specimen, which she did _not_ appreciate. "Usually, you're completely pathetic whenever you come across a guy you believe is attractive—"

"Thanks _so_ much for being sensitive to my feelings, Heisei," Kirei griped, rolling her eyes once again.

"—so why wouldn't you find the school idol attractive? According to the female masses, he's handsome, intelligent, athletic, and debonair. Are none of these qualities your type?"

"It isn't that," Kirei admitted, though she resented the intrusion of her personal tastes, "it's just…for him to be all those things makes him, well, _too_ perfect. Frankly, it's a little creepy."

"Don't let any other girl hear you say that, or his fan club will hang you," Phoenix joked, and Kirei sighed in exasperation.

Just then, the homeroom bell sounded, and the three had to rush to their respective homerooms. Heisei was in a different homeroom from Phoenix and Kirei, which Kirei was extra-grateful for this morning: after the stunt he pulled earlier, she wasn't feeling particularly fond of him today. It still meant that she had to deal with Phoenix, but he didn't work her nerves as much as Heisei did, so she didn't mind.

Once they entered their homeroom, Kirei was made aware that something exciting was happening, especially because some girls were squealing loudly about it.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, can you believe it?"

"I know! New students! I'm so jealous; both the seniors and the sophomores got one today!"

"I hope they're guys!"

"I hope they're gorgeous!"

"I hope they're single!"

'_Oh brother_', Kirei internally sighed, squeezing past the frenzied females to get to her seat in the middle of the classroom. Honestly, the girls of her homeroom were so fickle. Usually, they were all over Phoenix as soon as he stepped into the room, like bees on honey. But now, at the prospect of shiny new boy toys, they were all in a dither, with Phoenix completely forgotten. '_Not that Phoenix seems to mind,_' Kirei noted, catching her cousin sigh in relief from his seat near the windows. Shooting him an understanding smirk, Kirei settled into her seat and at least hoped that the excitement would die down by next class.

* * *

Unfortunately for Kirei, by the end of the school day, the gossip had only increased ten-fold. She and Phoenix were beginning to hear wild stories about the two new students of Awayuki High, and Kirei was getting sick and tired of it.

"Are we _really_ so bored with our lives that two new students coming to our school is a cause for celebration?" she griped to Phoenix as they headed to their Physics class, her struggling to quickly complete the homework assignment she'd forgotten about as they walked.

"It looks that way," Phoenix replied. He was half-way tuning Kirei out because he was so used to her rants by now, and he knew that he only needed to reply once in a while. Kirei wouldn't know the difference.

"I mean," she continued through her teeth; she had her schoolbag handle in between her teeth so she could organize her rushed homework, "it's not like it's that rare that we get new students. What's the big deal?"

"Mmm," Phoenix hummed, now in his own little world.

"The people here are so depraved," Kirei sighed, as if it were a tragedy, "I fear for the future of our society, I really do…"

Kirei trailed off and came to a stop, with Phoenix nearly bumping into her. But she didn't hear any of his protests. Her attention was already riveted on a figure before them, a boy about Heisei's height, with messy light brown hair and what appeared to be a broad, muscular build under his school uniform. His eyes were a hard hazel, and he was staring intently at something inside the classroom he was blocking the doorway to.

'_Wow_,' Kirei thought, beginning to get warm around the collar, '_talk about a hot guy!_' Of its own accord, her hand stretched out to tap him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," she found herself saying, and then daydreaming about what his voice would sound like, how his eyes would feel when they met hers…

…Well, as it turns out, the experience was none-too-pleasant. The boy's head whipped around, those hard hazel orbs slicing into Kirei with a fierce glare. "What?" he barked, his voice harsh and biting, as if Kirei was in the wrong for daring to get his attention. All good expectations ruined, Kirei glared right back at him, embarrassment and anger beginning to rise within her.

"You're blocking the doorway," she informed the stranger frostily, jabbing a thumb at said doorway, "and we need to get through. This is our next class."

The boy's hard eyes shifted from Kirei to Phoenix and back again, as if he was expecting to catch one of them lying just to bother him. Kirei rose her eyebrows, challenging him.

After a minute, the boy stepped aside, his eyes never leaving Kirei's until he turned around and headed up the hall, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets.

"What the heck was _his_ problem?" Kirei grouched to Phoenix as they entered their Physics classroom, and he shrugged.

"Beats me. You know, I don't think I've ever seen him before—ack!" Phoenix's sentence was cut off by a yelp as he and Kirei were suddenly snatched up and dragged to a corner of the classroom.

"Hey! What the hell—!" Kirei protested, only to be shushed by their captor.

"I need your help right now, you guys," the captor insisted. Kirei recognized the voice immediately and groaned.

"Akaru, I am _so_ not in the mood to deal with you right now," she complained, turning to glare at the boy behind her. Akaru made an impatient noise and rolled his amber eyes.

"I don't care if you're in the mood—listen!" he insisted, shoving his golden bangs out of his face with impatience. "You guys have got to tell me, because it's been driving me crazy all night: what did Heisei do for the Science Fair?"

"The Science Fair?" Phoenix echoed in confusion, giving their friend a strange look, "That's a month away. Why are you concerned about that now?"

"Because!" Akaru exclaimed, the golden ponytail at the back of his head swinging with indignation, "if you want extra credit, you have to turn it in a month early! And don't change the subject! What did Heisei do? You have to tell me!" Akaru now had Phoenix by the shoulders and was shaking him as if his life depended on it. Phoenix's crimson orbs found Kirei, and they screamed for her to help him. Kirei sighed, but complied.

"Akaru, _knock it off_," she commanded, socking Akaru in the arm. With a yelp, he released Phoenix and began massaging his assaulted upper arm while glaring at Kirei. She didn't appear bothered by his glare. "And Heisei didn't have a science project with him when we met up with him this morning, so you can quit being so neurotic."

Akaru gasped and his eyes became large. "Really? Really and truly? You're not jerking my chain?" he questioned, staring intently at Kirei. Kirei rolled her eyes, but shook her head to confirm what she had just said. At this, Akaru went into a full-on spaz attack.

"YES! FINALLY! Victory is mine at last! HAHAHAHAHA—A-ha! In your FACE, Musika!" Akaru cheered, pointing an imperious finger at Heisei, whom had just entered the classroom. Heisei quirked an eyebrow at Akaru, but chose not to comment, because he knew Akaru would elaborate on what he was blathering about next.

And Heisei was right. With a superior smirk, Akaru folded his arms and continued with his victory speech. "At last, I, Akaru Hikari, have surpassed you! According to my sources, YOU have neglected to turn in your science project a month early to get the extra credit, which means that MY science project will be worth more than YOURS this year! HA HA! How does the bitter taste of DEFEAT suit you, Musika? Huh?"

"…Oh. Is _that_ what you're over-excited about this afternoon?" Heisei sighed, turning his head to the side to push his glasses back up his nose. A hint of a smirk was playing at the corner of his mouth, and Kirei knew what was coming next: Heisei was about to, once again, one-up Akaru in the most humiliating way possible.

"Actually," Heisei began, his sadistic side beginning to surface, "I turned my science project in _last _month, in order to qualify for a scholarship from NASA. They were so impressed that they're offering me an internship there this summer."

"…Wow," Phoenix said after a moment, for Akaru appeared to be frozen in place with shock, rendering him unable to respond. "That's incredible. Congrats, Heisei."

"Thank you," Heisei replied, his smirk now more defined as he stared down his nose at Akaru. "Now, what was it you were saying, Akaru…?"

"I…I…I…" Akaru choked, but whether he was too choked up with sadness or rage to speak properly, Kirei didn't know. Finally, poor Akaru gave a wail of despair and sprinted for the door. "Damn you, Musika! I'll get you for this, one day!" he swore before disappearing into the hall. Kirei sighed and shook her head.

"Heisei, you really shouldn't do that to him. You're giving him an irreversible complex," she reprimanded her friend as she, Phoenix, and Heisei took their seats in the back row. Heisei shrugged nonchalantly.

"It isn't my fault he feels he has to compete with me in everything and loses. Badly," he added.

'_Why are my friends so eccentric?_' Kirei wondered with a sweatdrop just as their Physics teacher walked in.

"Good afternoon, class," Mr. Takahara greeted brightly, "now, before we begin, I'd like to introduce a new student in our midst! Miss Yamashita, if you please?"

'_Eh? New student talk again?_' Kirei's thoughts grumbled, but her attention was nonetheless piqued by the small girl at the front of the room, who was now standing. Kirei noticed that she was trembling slightly, and made her way to the front of the class slowly, as if afraid that she would slip and fall if she wasn't careful. At the front of the room, she refused to raise her eyes from her feet, but even so, Kirei could tell that her face was bright red under her glossy dark brown pigtails. '_Poor thing,_' Kirei found herself sympathizing, '_she looks scared stiff._'

"This is Miyu Yamashita," Mr. Takahara introduced her, once he had finished writing her name on the board. "She and her brother just moved here, so be nice! And I'll have no one bullying her just because this is a junior-level class and she's only a sophomore, understood?"

"P-please take care of me…" Miyu stuttered, her eyes still lowered. Kirei felt another tug at her heartstrings. Poor girl. Just how shy was she?

After Mr. Takahara allowed Miyu to sit back down, he erased her name from the board and began writing today's topic of study on the board. "You can find all the information you need, as well as your assignment, on page 16," he announced to the class. "Also, this is a partner project, and I will _not_ be choosing the partners, just to be nice. Therefore, I expect you to be able to pick your own partners without too much fuss, alright? Get started."

"Sorry, Phoenix," Kirei apologized before she left her seat and headed up to the front. Usually, Kirei always partnered with her cousin, but something about the new girl just nagged at her. Now was a perfect time to be able to get to know her better. Phoenix could always partner with Heisei, after all.

As soon as Kirei reached the front, however, Miyu was already busy. Despite Mr. Takahara's wishes, she was already being harassed by the class jackass, Ken Shinran.

"Come on, be my partner," Ken was attempting to entice her, one of her hands trapped within his grasp, though she was desperately trying to pull free. "It'll be easy, I promise…just as long as you agree to do all the work. You're smart enough, right? Help me out,"

"P-p-please…" Miyu pleaded, tugging with all her might in an attempt to get away from Ken. This only made him tighten his grip.

"I'm not letting you go until you agree," he said in a sing-song voice, a smarmy grin plastered on his face.

"Buzz off, Ken," Kirei commanded in lieu of a greeting. The two looked up, Miyu in relief, and Ken in irritation.

"Whose gonna make me?" he challenged, getting up to get in Kirei's face, "your rich daddy?"

A vein began to pulsate in Kirei's temple. She _hated_ it when people thought that she was just Daddy's Little Rich Girl, always solving her problems with her father's cash. That wasn't who she was! But then again, what point was there in educating the ignorant?

"No…but you know my friend Heisei, right?" Kirei began, and Ken stiffened. That told Kirei that he still remembered the time that Heisei had nearly murdered him for trying to kiss Kirei in their sophomore year. Kirei made her face really scary as she continued to threaten Ken, "If you don't leave right now, I'll tell Heisei that you threatened to kidnap and take advantage of me after school."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ken spat.

"Try me," Kirei dared him. Ken's face screwed up in concentration; he appeared to be weighing his options. Surreptitiously, his gaze shifted to the back, where Phoenix and Heisei were working. Heisei's glasses were flashing in the light, so Ken and Kirei couldn't see his eyes at first. But once Heisei readjusted his glasses, Ken noticed with shock—and fear—that Heisei's gaze was on him.

And it did NOT look friendly.

"Tch! You win _this_ time, Awayuki!" Ken growled, retreating to go heckle someone else for the time being. Smirking in victory, Kirei turned to Miyu, whom was staring up at Kirei in wonder. Kirei noted that her eyes were hazel…just like the boy she'd had the unfriendly encounter with earlier.

"Hi. Are you okay?" Kirei wanted to check, taking a seat next to Miyu. The new girl said nothing; she continued to stare at Kirei in awe. "…My name's Kirei," Kirei introduced herself after a few seconds, and she extended her hand to Miyu. "It's very nice to meet you."

Miyu still said nothing, and she continued to stare.

'…_Ooookay, this is getting kind of awkward…_' Kirei thought, lowering her hand. Really, didn't this girl have _anything_ to say?

"…Um," Miyu began, but paused when Kirei looked at her in surprise. Once Kirei rearranged her features into an expression of polite interest, Miyu continued. "W-what you did…um, t-thank you. It was…really cool…"

"Aw, shucks, it was nothing," Kirei brushed off the thanks and compliments with a grin, "Ken's harmless, once you know how to handle him. I think he acts that was just because he has a small…um, anyway, don't worry about him. So tell me about yourself, Yamashita-san. Where did you move from?"

"Um, America," Miyu answered, the tension in her shoulders lessening, "and, um, Miyu is fine…"

"Miyu-san, then," Kirei affirmed with a smile. "Wow, America? That's amazing! But, if you don't mind my asking, how come you can speak Japanese so well?"

"M-my father…he's Japanese," Miyu explained.

"Oh, I see…is your mother American?" Kirei wanted to know. Unexpectedly, Miyu's expression saddened, and she lowered her eyes to her lap. Kirei waited, but Miyu would say no more on the subject. To save them from their awkward moment came Mr. Takahara.

"Girls, you can chat after class," he reprimanded, though the effect was ruined by his smile, "right now, you need to get your assignment done."

"Sorry, Takahara-sensei," Kirei apologized, grabbing her book and flipping to the appropriate page. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Miyu breathe a sigh of relief before doing the same.

The rest of the class period was spent on discussing the assignment, and comparing answers when they got stuck on a part of the assignment. Kirei found that Miyu seemed to be very confident in what she was doing, but that was fairly obvious, considering Miyu was in a junior-level Physics class, and she was only a sophomore.

"You're really good at this," Kirei complimented, once they had finished the assignment. Immediately, Miyu's face went bright red, and she began to fidget. Amused, Kirei added another trait to her mental assessment of Miyu: she got embarrassed easily.

"I-I-I'm alright…" Miyu replied modestly, pressing her fingertips together in embarrassment. Kirei hoped she didn't offend Miyu when she giggled at her behavior. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of school. Kirei took their assignment up to Mr. Takahara, and then returned to grab her school bag.

"So Miyu-san," Kirei began after waving to Phoenix and Heisei, signaling them to leave without her, "Do you have anyone to walk home with?"

"W-well—" Miyu stuttered as they left the classroom, but was interrupted by a flash of spiky green hair with a person under it hurtling towards them.

"Yo! Kirei!" the spiky-haired boy greeted Kirei, screeching to a halt just before the girls. He was dwarfed by an inch or two by Kirei, but he was still taller than Miyu. His sun-kissed skin was flushed with excitement, and his ruby eyes positively glowed. "What goes on?"

"What are you so excited about, Hanabi?" Kirei wanted to know, quirking a brow at her sophomore friend. Hanabi beamed, and Kirei had to wonder at herself for asking that question, because Hanabi was _always_ excited. He was a very excitable kid, as well as an easily-angered one. It really didn't take much to set him off.

"I got a C on my math test!" he announced proudly, rubbing the underside of his nose with a finger the way all bragging kids do. Kirei stared at him.

"…And?" she asked, wondering if that was seriously the end of the story. "Why is that so important?"

"Because it _means_ that I didn't flunk!" Hanabi explained, as if Kirei were stupid for not realizing this point. "And Dad's _really_ been riding me about my grades, lately. Maybe this C will help get him off my a—hey! Who's this?" Hanabi suddenly cut himself off, just now noticing Miyu, who really looked like she _didn't _want to be noticed at that moment.

"Easy, Hanabi," Kirei cautioned, "this is Miyu Yamashita. She's new."

"That's right! You were in Akaru's homeroom! He wouldn't shut up about it, but now I see why," Hanabi said, slinking an arm around Miyu's nervous shoulders. "If I'd known you were so cute, I would've bragged about having you in my homeroom too!"

"Hanabi—" Kirei began in exasperation, pitying Miyu yet again, when a hand from nowhere swooped down and grabbed the collar of Hanabi's uniform. Hanabi let out a cry of pain as he was suddenly slammed against a wall, a menacing figure towering over him. With a jolt, Kirei realized it was the ill-tempered boy from before.

"_Keep your hands off my sister!_" the boy barked, hoisting Hanabi up so that his feet were no longer touching the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kirei shouted, shoving into the boy so that he stumbled. His grip didn't loosen on Hanabi, however. "Put him down right now!"

The boy turned to glare at Kirei, and in his cold hazel gaze, Kirei picked up a flash of recognition.

"Why should I? He was harassing my sister," the boy growled. Kirei glared back at him just as fiercely.

"He was not! He was being an idiot, granted, but he _wasn't _harassing her! Now put him down before I make you!" she threatened. And she shoved him again for good measure. This time the boy let go of Hanabi…but it was only so he could grab Kirei's arm instead.

"Ren! No!" Miyu cried, but the boy called Ren was too intent upon the struggling Kirei to hear her.

"Listen, you—" he hissed.

"Let go!" Kirei cried, squeezing her eyes shut and yanking with all her might.

And, to Kirei's surprise, he did, and she stumbled backwards a bit. But it was only when she opened her eyes that she found Phoenix standing before her, his back to her, and his arm raised, as if he had knocked Ren's arm away to break his grip on Kirei.

"…I think you should leave," Phoenix said coolly, and Kirei could tell by his tone that his expression was just like the one her Uncle Kai wore when he was angry: the "Don't Screw With Me" expression.

Over Phoenix's shoulder, Kirei could see Ren Yamashita open his mouth to angrily retort, but he was distracted by a shadow that fell over Kirei. She felt two hands rest on her shoulders, and she looked up to find Heisei, his expression similar to Phoenix's tone as he glared at Ren.

"Right now," he added to Phoenix's statement. Ren glared between Heisei and Phoenix before he seemed to decide that he was outnumbered. Finally, his gaze rested on Kirei, his expression telling her that this wasn't over.

"Miyu, we're leaving," Ren growled, reaching out and taking his sister by the hand. And then he whirled around and marched away, Miyu in tow. Just once, Miyu glanced back at Kirei, her expression frightened, and another emotion that Kirei couldn't decipher before they disappeared around the corner.

'_Well, that was a disaster,_' Kirei thought, and she sighed heavily. Suddenly, she was whirled around to face Heisei, his violet orbs avidly searching her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Kirei squirmed under his grasp and gaze.

"I'm fine, now let go," she assured him, shrugging out of his grip, but only to be caught by Phoenix instead.

"Are you sure?" he wanted to check, his expression anxious. Kirei rolled her eyes and sighed in irritation this time.

"_Yes_," she insisted, pulling from her cousin as well, "so cut it out."

"Oh don't worry, I'm fine, thanks for asking," Hanabi called sarcastically, finally getting to his feet and fixing his uniform where Ren had ruined it.

"Hanabi? What are you doing here?" Phoenix asked, and Hanabi slipped into an anime fall.

"I'm glad you guys care so much about me, considering the fact that _I_ was the one that Neanderthal originally attacked!"

"We weren't aware of that," Heisei informed the spiky-haired teen, fiddling with the glowing earpiece on his left ear, "we only heard Kirei scream."

"Yeah, 'cause you guys only have supernatural ears for her," Hanabi grumbled and then sighed. "Man, when Akaru told me about her, he didn't tell me she had a scary older brother too…and speaking of Akaru, he was in the bathroom crying about something earlier. Any ideas why?" he asked, glancing between the trio of juniors before him.

As an answer, Phoenix and Kirei turned in unison to look at Heisei, who in turn straightened his glasses and said, "Oh, it's probably nothing. You know how Akaru is; he'll be fine by tomorrow."

'_Sadist,_' Kirei thought, frowning up at Heisei. Still, she couldn't be too put out with him. After all, he'd just saved her from being assaulted.

"Well, I've gotta get going," Hanabi said as they exited the school building, "Awayuki Middle School is letting out soon, and I have to go walk Tsurara home."

Kirei gave the spiky-haired teen a funny look. "Didn't Tsurara tell you to stop doing that?" she queried. Hanabi shrugged, untroubled.

"Yeah, but in the end, I know what's best, since I'm the oldest," Hanabi assured Kirei, who sweatdropped.

'_I'd believe that more if you weren't just a few months older than Tsurara, Hanabi,_' she mused, but chose not to voice the thought as Hanabi waved and raced off. He seemed to forget something, however, and raced right back, once again stopping just short of Kirei.

"By the way, when's the party again? I forgot," Hanabi admitted, thunking himself in the head with his fist. Kirei blinked, clueless.

"What party?"

"You know, the party! For y—"

Suddenly, Phoenix and Heisei each clamped a hand over Hanabi's mouth, effectively shutting him up. As Kirei stared at them in confusion, the boys muttered something about being right back and telling her to wait for the car before they took off around the corner.

"You baka!" Phoenix scolded as soon as they were out of Kirei's earshot, "you could've ruined everything!"

"What?" Hanabi protested, his expression insulted, "aren't we having a party for Kirei's birthday?"

"Yes, but it's a _surprise_ party, idiot," Heisei said, shaking his head in distaste. "Really, we can't tell you anything."

"I didn't know it was a surprise party!"

"It was the first thing we told you!"

"Oh whatever!" Hanabi shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I just wanted to know when the stupid party was!"

"It's tomorrow at eight," Heisei informed the spiky-haired teen, "do not be late."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, I'm outta here," Hanabi grumbled, taking off once again for Awayuki Middle School.

"What was that about?" Kirei asked suspiciously when Phoenix and Heisei approached. Phoenix laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah…you know Hanabi. Half the time he doesn't know what he's talking about," her cousin explained. Kirei didn't quite believe him, but still, he had a point: Hanabi could be quite scatter-brained.

Two cars pulled up to the curb, one for Heisei, and another for Kirei and Phoenix. After bidding goodbye to Heisei, Kirei and Phoenix climbed into their car and allowed Tanaka to drive them home.

After dropping Phoenix off, it was just a short distance back to Awayuki Mansion. The wind was blowing as Kirei stepped out of the car, and she smiled as the pleasant breeze caressed her face and tossed her dark brown and auburn-streaked locks.

Even before Kirei learned who she was, she enjoyed the wind. There was something so playful and carefree about it, and yet, when there were storms, it was fierce and powerful. Sakura often used to tell her daughter that she was the product of the wind before Kirei found out her father was the Leafe Knight of Wind. Looking back on it now, it made sense. Kirei giggled to herself and turned to head into the mansion, when a strange wind crossed her senses. She whipped back around, her Leafe Knight instincts on edge as she scanned the grounds. But there was nothing out of the ordinary, as far as she could see…

'_What was that…?_'

"Is something wrong, Miss Awayuki?" Tanaka wanted to know, leaning over to speak to Kirei from the passenger window.

"….No," Kirei replied, looking at Tanaka, "please pick up my siblings, Tanaka. Their school day ends soon."

"Yes, Miss Awayuki!" Tanaka replied, and sped off to fulfill his duty.

Kirei watched him go for a moment, and then, with one last sweeping glance of the grounds, went into the mansion to greet her parents.

Maybe it was just her imagination…

* * *

**A/N****: Whew! Done! That took longer than expected, but I'm happy with it!**

**Hiro: ….**

**MuraSakura: (Narrows eyes) What? Come on, spit it out. I've been waiting for your comments all night…**

**Hiro: …It's…actually GOOD.**

**MuraSakura: What's that supposed to mean? My writing is always good!**

**Hiro: Pfft! I beg to differ.**

**MuraSakura: …Shut up. Anyway, first chapter is complete, yay! I apologize if there are mistakes, because my beta has NO idea what I'm up to, so I'm submitting this chapter as edited as I, the authoress (and Spell Check) can make it!**

**Hiro: Which isn't much, granted, once she finishes adding all the foreign words to her Word Document dictionary…**

**MuraSakura: Shut up! (Hits Hiro with Daddy Frying Pan)**

**Hiro: OW! Damn it, I did NOT miss this abuse!**

**MuraSakura: I did. (Smirks) Anyway, thank you very much for reading, and please review! Oh, and also, I do not own "Billy S." by Skye Sweetnam, the song Kirei sings in the beginning. Thank you!**

**-MuraSakura**


	2. Chapter 2: A Birthday Gone Wrong

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: Okay! Time to work on Chapter Two!**

**Hiro: Already? You just posted Chapter One earlier this month!**

**MuraSakura: I know, but I feel like writing!**

**Hiro: You've only received one review so far too…and it was from someone you know personally.**

**MuraSakura: (Angry vein) Shut UP Hiro…and it doesn't matter, because one rule of writing is that you must write for yourself!**

**Hiro: (Mutters) You have to write for your audience too, or no one but you will read your stuff—(gets hit by Daddy Frying Pan) OW! Why do you still have that thing!**

**MuraSakura: Because I knew I would need it one day. XP Anyway, shut up so I can do the disclaimer!**

**Kirei: (Pops up yet again) Ah! Hang on; I wanna do it this time!**

**MuraSakura: Oh yeah? Kay, go for it!**

**Kirei: A-HEM! The authoress of this fanfic does not own Pretear, or Kai Hiwatari from Beyblade, or Tenshi Hiwatari, NOR Hiniku Musika. The last two mentioned are OCs that belong to Mishi-chan of Twin Psychos, and Invisible Love…the one that no longer posts. …Um, Momma?**

**MuraSakura: Ah, we're non-canon right now, Kirei, which means I'm not your mom right now.**

**Kirei: Yeah, but you still created me, correct?**

**MuraSakura: …(Ruffles Kirei's hair) I knew you got your brains from me. (Grins)**

**Hiro: Pfft. (Runs away before MuraSakura can hit him)**

**Kirei: Anyway, is the disclaimer for Pretear really necessary?**

**MuraSakura: Hm? How do you mean?**

**Kirei: Well, you killed off the original cast right?**

**MuraSakura: Shh! Kaori Naruse and Junichi Satou might hear you! (Looks around shiftily) And pretty much…except for Yayoi, Mayune, Mawata and Takako…but I doubt anyone really cares about them. But the original Leafe Knights didn't have much of a presence in my first Pretear fic in the first place…**

**Kirei: Right…anyway, since they're all pretty much dead or non-important, what's the point in disclaiming the story? It isn't even about them anymore.**

**MuraSakura: ….**

**Hiro: Stumped you, didn't she?**

**MuraSakura: Shut it, I'm thinking…ah, I got it! I'm disclaiming the CONCEPT of Pretear. 'Cause I don't own it, right? But I'm still using it.**

**Kirei: Ohhh. Okay, that makes sense.**

**MuraSakura: Right! Now that that's out of the way, on with the chappie!**

**Hiro: Oh man, she's reverting to her middle school slang…**

**MuraSakura: SILENCE, mortal! It's my fic and I'll do what I want! Chapter Two: START!**

**Kirei: Yatta!**

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER TWO: A BIRTHDAY GONE WRONG**

"_What…that?"_

"_That's my…"_

"_You shouldn't…my personal…"_

"_Why…even…"_

"_Because…"_

"…_miss him…"_

"…_can't…dead…"_

"_Then…you…"_

"_I…"_

"…_not?"_

"_There's…wrong…"_

"…_do…mean?"_

"…_touch…dark…evil…"_

"…_should…away…"_

"_No…destroyed…"_

Kirei's chocolate brown orbs flew open. Trying to work out her confusion, she stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars plastered to the ceiling, as if they held the answers.

She had been dreaming about something…but it was like she had bad reception in her brain; the words she heard weren't clear at all. Parts were missing as well, making the conversation completely unintelligible. There was also the distinct feeling that she recognized the voices that were speaking, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

'_Ugh! I give up,_' Kirei conceded, rolling back over to go back to sleep. It couldn't have been that important if she couldn't make out the whole conversation…

Suddenly, the double doors to Kirei's room burst open and before she knew it she was being trampled.

"Kirei! Kirei! It's time to wake up!" cried Kaze as he and Hana jumped up and down on their big sister's bed. Growling in frustration, she sat up.

"What the heck, you two? It's Saturday! How are you _already_ up?" she demanded to know, glaring at the twins. Kaze grinned, looking very much like a younger, more mischievous version of their father.

"Mom says me and Hana can go to the park with Taki today! But _you_ have to come with us!" he commanded, getting down from the bed to tug on Kirei's leg. "So get up and let's go already!"

"…No," Kirei decided, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. "Get Dad to take you or something. I wanna sleep in today."

"Aw c'mon!" Kaze protested, pulling on Kirei's blanket, but she held fast, refusing to budge.

'_I can't hear you, la la la la…_' Kirei sang in her mind as she attempted to block out her little brother's protests. An unexpected breeze hit her face just then, and Kirei opened her eyes to find Hana under her covers as well. As her eyes welled up with tears, Hana bore a strong resemblance to their aunt Hitori, causing Kirei to cringe. Despite her age, Aunt Hitori often used that look on their father whenever she wanted him to do something. And while it usually had no effect on him, it didn't stop Hana from learning the technique and using it on their father as well. Hana usually had more success because all three children had their mother's eyes—eyes that Hiro had trouble refusing.

Incidentally, Kirei also had trouble refusing those eyes.

"_Please_, Kirei-nee? Please?" Hana begged, the force of her puppy-dog eyes overwhelming. With an exasperated sigh, Kirei gave in.

"Alright, alright! Mou, just give me a minute to change."

"Wahoo!" Kaze cheered, him and Hana slapping each other high-fives as they also took off to go get dressed. Kirei sighed again, and slipped out from under her covers. Ugh, siblings. She had wanted a dog, but nooo, she got a brother and sister instead.

As Kirei rifled through her closet, searching for her favorite black hipster hat, something nagged at the back of her mind, like she had forgotten something important. Frowning as she dressed, she tried to put her finger on it. But, as she put on her last piece of jewelry and checked herself out in her floor-length mirror, Kirei still had no idea as to what she was supposed to be remembering.

'_Oh well. At least I look good today,_' Kirei's thoughts gushed. She giggled as she did a little twirl in the mirror, inspecting every aspect of her outfit. On her torso was a long, black, off-the-shoulder tee that hugged her figure and accentuated her curves. She had bedazzled a giant 'K' on the front, just to spruce it up a little, and she also wore a denim jacket over it. The bottom half of the jacket was short however, so the length of the jacket stopped just past her chest. Kirei additionally slipped on a matching denim mini-skirt, but her legs weren't fully exposed. A pair of thigh-high black-and-white striped socks covered them, the look completed by her knee-high black boots.

Kirei shared her mother's love for jewelry as well. A pair of silver butterflies dangled on chains from her ears and her necklace was a chain of fine silver, a little key with a heart as the handle threaded on it. On her fingers, she wore four rings, one on each of her pointer and ring fingers, and all of them silver. Each of the rings had an engraved word: _Love, Truth, Courage, _and _Happiness_. Kirei straightened the hat upon her head and gave herself a little nod. She was ready to go.

* * *

"C'mon, Kirei! Hurry up!"

"I'm coming! Jeez, ya brat…"

"MOM! KIREI JUST CALLED ME A BRAT AGAIN!"

"'Cause you ARE a brat! AND A TATTLE-TALE!"

"MOOOOM!"

"Ugh. I'm gonna end up killing those kids one day…" Sakura grumbled as she set mugs down in front of a woman with icy blue bangs and a black-haired woman with fiery streaks. The former of the two snickered as she brought the mug to her lips.

"You're the one who went ahead and had 'em, Saku-nee," Tenshi pointed out as she reached for the sugar bowl to sweeten her coffee.

"Exactly! I brought 'em into this world, so I can take 'em out!" Sakura asserted, slamming her mug onto the table and effectively sloshing coffee everywhere. As a cursing Sakura rushed off to get paper towels to mop up the mess, their last companion, Hiniku, leaned over to whisper in Tenshi's ear.

"Like she'd have the nerve to. You remember how she was when Kirei was first born? Instant Jell-O. There was nothing she'd refuse Kirei," Hiniku jeered before being bopped on the head by the roll of paper towels in Sakura's vengeful hands.

"I heard that. And _you_ were no better, Hiniku! I'm just glad Heisei ended up well-rounded despite your doting," Sakura shot back.

Hiniku stuck her tongue out at her dark-skinned friend. "At least Tenshi-chan and I each had the sense to only have _one_ child," the fiery Asian pointed out, deaf to Tenshi's muttered protests to leave her out of it. "You and Hiro went ahead and had three! Can't keep your hands off each other, can you?"

"Jealous?" Hiro quipped as he appeared around the corner, straightening his tie. A frown appeared when Sakura caught sight of her husband's suit.

"Hitori-nee has you going into the office again? Today of all days?" she fussed, getting up to fix his tie for him.

Hiro grimaced. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, I fought her as hard as I could, but you know how Hitori is…ah, too tight," he protested as Sakura tightened the knot on the tie.

"Don't be a baby," she scorned, nonetheless loosening it for Hiro. "There, you're all set."

"Thank you, Saku," Hiro said, leaning down to kiss his wife.

Both Tenshi and Hiniku teasingly made cooing noises. "This is exactly why you guys have three kids," Tenshi taunted, only to have her stepsister flip her off as she continued to kiss Hiro.

"Ugh! Mom, Dad, gross!" Kirei protested as she came down the hall and witnessed the disgusting display her parents were putting on. "And in front of company too? Jeez, get a room," she continued to complain once she'd edged around her making-out parents to find Tenshi and Hiniku in the kitchen. "Sorry you had to see this, Aunt Tenshi and Aunt Hiniku."

"It's cool. We've had to put up with it a _lot_ longer than you have," Hiniku stressed, and she and Tenshi giggled together, ignoring the glares they received from Sakura and Hiro.

Chestnut orbs sparkling as she observed her niece, Tenshi asked, "So, are you excited about today, Kirei-chan?" The teen had to swallow before replying; she had just taken a bite out of an apple.

"Why? What's so exciting about today?" she wanted to know. The adults in the room turned to stare at her.

"…Don't you know what today is…?" Hiniku questioned slowly, her face becoming incredulous when Kirei merely continued to stare at them blankly.

"No, what—?" Kirei began, but cut herself off because her mother was suddenly in her face.

"Are you KIDDING me? You _forgot_? I was in labor with you for THIRTEEN HOURS!" Sakura raged, Hiro gripping her arms so she wouldn't injure their daughter.

"She wouldn't remember that, Saku-nee," Tenshi pointed out, but Sakura was too far gone to hear her. In her confusion and fear, Kirei's eyes happened to find the calendar on the fridge: August the 8th.

"That's right! It's my birthday today!" Kirei finally realized, and everyone else suffered through an anime fall.

"To forget your own birthday—" Tenshi grumbled, struggling to get up.

"—takes an _absurd_ amount of stupidity," Hiniku finished for her, rubbing her head in exasperation. Kirei sweatdropped and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"Kirei, come on!" Kaze commanded, tearing through the kitchen and out the door before anyone could blink.

"Yeah, let's go!" Hana urged as she entered, grabbing her big sister's hand and tugging her to the door.

Kirei sighed once more. "Alright, alright," she appeased, following after her little sister. But before she could reach the door, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Kirei looked around to find her father looking at her with a most peculiar expression on his face. "Dad, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, just…" Hiro's gaze swept over his daughter's outfit, and he frowned, "where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

Kirei's cheeks instantly became rosy. "_Dad_," she groaned, "Can we not do this now?"

"Why not now?"

"It's my birthday!"

"You didn't know that when you put that outfit on. Try again."

"Mom," Kirei appealed with a desperate look to her mother. Sakura's face threatened mutiny; however, she relented to her daughter's pleading gaze with a sigh.

"Hiro—"

"There is _no way_ she's leaving the house like that, Sakura," Hiro cut his wife off, rounding on her with a scowl. "I don't care what you say; she has to change."

Sakura rose her eyebrows slowly. "Oh…you don't care what I have to say, huh…" she repeated, each word spoken with an undercurrent of danger. Hiro's face visibly paled.

"Wait, Sakura—"

"Since when have you not cared what I have to say? Since when is what I say unimportant? Since _when_ is what I say discarded like it's trash?"

Under the cover of her mother's sure-to-make-Hiro-late-for-work rant, Kirei slipped out the door, a secret smile playing across her features. If she ever got married, that was _definitely_ a technique she would have to master.

* * *

'_Why am I here?_' Kirei wondered, her expression discontent as she and her siblings traipsed through the city on their way to the park. She had a firm grip on Hana's hand to keep her from getting lost in the crowds, and an even firmer grasp on the back of Kaze's shirt. Knowing him, Kirei knew that if her grip slackened just a little, he would take off into the crowd, never to be seen again…until you gave up searching for him, that is. Kirei had a secret theory that her brother stayed out of sight on purpose when you were searching for him, just to annoy people. Namely, her.

'_If it's _my_ birthday, why am I the one escorting Hana and bratty Kaze around? Shouldn't this be Tanaka's job? Great, I've been demoted from 'Birthday Girl' to 'Brat Babysitter'. This sucks._'

Something cold and wet suddenly splattered on Kirei's back, and she screeched in surprise.

"What the—" she growled, whipping around to find the culprit. The boy she laid eyes on was about two inches taller than her brother, with short strawberry blonde hair, aqua-hued irises, and an impish grin that guaranteed mischief. He laughed when Kirei's chocolate brown orbs narrowed at him. "Taki! What did your parents say about you throwing water balls?"

"Heh heh, sorry Kirei-nee! I wasn't trying to hit you," he apologized roguishly, summoning yet another liquid projectile. "It was your brother I wanted!"

Kaze made a face at Taki from behind Kirei. "Well you missed, sucker!" he taunted, dodging the water ball thrown at him and cackling all the while.

"Just you wait! I'll get you!" Taki promised, grinning hugely as he pursued the fleeing Kaze.

"Hey, wait for me!" cried Hana, running after her cousin and her brother.

"Hold on, don't run too far! Stay within my sight! Don't leave the park! Ugh…" Kirei huffed and pulled her hat lower over her eyes. "I'm getting too old to be dealing with this kind of crap. I should just leave them to their own devices and tell Tanaka to—oof!"

For the second time that day, Kirei was caught unawares. She had run into something solid, like a brick wall, only smoother. And now she was falling backwards, having lost her balance. Her first instinct was to summon the wind to reverse her fall, but of course, that would cause too much of a spectacle. So Kirei's only option? To fall flat on her butt. Ouch.

'_Man, this is gonna hurt_,' Kirei groaned internally, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself for the impact. But then, quite abruptly, gravity was pulling her in the opposite direction. Her arm was yanked forwards, and she ended up stumbling into the solid build she'd run into. Strong arms enveloped her to steady her, and Kirei's face caught on fire. Whoever was holding her right now was not only her knight in shining armor to save her from her fall, but he also had some _serious_ muscle to go along with that image.

"Are you alright?" a smooth baritone voice asked, and Kirei felt her heart thump unevenly. What a voice…

Trying to go for a coy look, Kirei glanced up at her savior from under her lashes, something she'd seen her mother do just before winning her way with Kirei's father. "Yes, I'm—"

Shocked chocolate met startled hazel, and the two broke apart instantly. "You!" they cried at the same time, with Kirei pointing an accusing finger at her supposed "savior", and said "savior" glaring viciously in return.

Ren Yamashita's expression echoed all the loathing Kirei felt for him in that instant. He stood there defensively, with his baggy blue jean-clad legs spread apart, a smoky colored t-shirt around his taut torso, and his arms raised at waist-level. There were gray arm bands around his wrists, and his hands were balled into fists. And even as she stood there, hating this aggressive boy, Kirei began to hate herself even more for checking him out.

'_I don't care how hot he is! He's a jerk!_' she told herself, but even she knew that such a scolding was half-hearted. In Kirei's mind, Ren's looks and his attitude were two _totally_ different things.

"What are you, stalking me or something?" Kirei suddenly accused, acutely aware of the fact that Phoenix and Heisei weren't there to protect her this time. Kirei wasn't completely helpless when it came to defending herself, but when it came to guys like Ren Yamashita, who had all that muscle…

'_Stop it! Focus, Kirei!_'

Ren's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What makes you think you're actually worth all that time and effort to me?" he shot back, the seductive voice that had Kirei swooning earlier now marred by anger and disdain. It was no wonder Kirei hadn't recognized him right away: up until now, she had never heard Ren Yamashita speak without a furious tone in his voice.

"I dunno…you seem like the type that would stalk: creepy, angry at the world because you can't get a date the normal way, so you have to prey on the weak," Kirei spouted just to goad him further. She didn't care that what she was doing could be considered stupid, she didn't care that Ren Yamashita was stepping towards her with a menacing look on his face, and she didn't care that, should she have to defend herself, that she might expose herself as "unnatural" by doing so. It was _her_ birthday, and she would mouth off, mock, and show off as much as she wanted to!

However, just before it got confrontational, a soft voice distracted Ren from Kirei.

"Ren-nii, the shop owner said they were out of animal crackers, so I got you—oh. Kirei-san…?"

"Miyu-san," Kirei noted with surprise, taking in the appearance of the shy girl she had met just yesterday. Miyu's hair was still in the two low pigtails she wore yesterday, but her outfit was way cuter on her than the school uniform could ever look. Her baby tee was a soft ivory and displayed a brand label that Kirei had never heard of; she guessed it was American because it was in English. Over the t-shirt, Miyu wore a jacket in a shade of a pink rose, the same shade as the frilly skirt she wore, but a hue lighter than the messenger bag slung over her shoulder. She wore no make-up or jewelry, and Kirei noticed that she had apparently opted out of heels and chosen white tennis shoes to wear instead. In her hands were two bags of what looked like groceries.

Miyu glanced between Kirei and Ren, and Kirei could see the apprehension on her sweet face as she eyed their tense posture.

"I-is everything—?" she began timidly, but Ren had turned away from Kirei and was approaching his sister. Gruffly, he took the grocery bags from her, and placed his free hand on her back to steer her down the road, away from Kirei. Kirei, however, was stubborn, and called after Miyu, despite her brother's unfriendliness.

"Miyu-san! Miyu-san, hold on!"

Ren swiveled around to glare at Kirei. "What gives you the right—" he began to growl, but was distracted when Miyu moved away from him, towards Kirei. She didn't get very close; she moved forward just enough to let Kirei know she had Miyu's attention. Her expression was wary, but also politely curious as she waited to hear what Kirei had to say. Kirei smiled briefly in appreciation.

"Look…I'm sorry about yesterday," Kirei apologized in earnest, "Hanabi meant no harm; he's just a little excitable. He's like a brother to me, so I know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I'm really sorry if he frightened you. Also, for…everything else…" To explain the vague point of her apology, Kirei's gaze shifted to Miyu's brother. His hard expression didn't change; he wouldn't even look at Kirei. His gaze was averted, as if this situation did not concern him, even if Kirei was, in an indirect way, apologizing to him too. Not that she would ever admit such a thing, but even so…

Miyu had her head tilted slightly to the side when Kirei's gaze returned to her. Her hazel orbs—open and warm, a stark contrast to her brother's—were contemplative, as if she was trying to figure something out. Ren, on the other hand, seemed like he'd just run out of patience.

"Miyu, let's go. Our ice cream's gonna melt," he warned.

Miyu turned to give him a surprised look. "But I didn't get any…" she trailed off at the look on her brother's face. "Oh…um, okay…" Miyu turned around to face Kirei once more, and sank into a bow so low that it startled Kirei. "It was nice to see you again, Kirei-san. I'll, um, see you at school on Monday…"

And, with a smile so swift and so small that Kirei wondered if it had really been there at all, Miyu flitted to her brother's side and they continued down the road and out of sight.

"…." Kirei didn't know what to think. On the one hand, she was so relieved that Miyu seemed to accept her apology, and Kirei had high hopes that she and Miyu would be able to be good friends. But on the other hand, accepting Miyu as a friend meant having to endure her perpetual—and not to mention scary—bodyguard brother. Kirei wasn't quite sure yet if she wanted to have to deal with Ren…but she didn't want to lose the first potential female friend she's ever had. So how in the world would this situation play out?

Children's laughter distracted Kirei from her thoughts, and she turned to see her siblings and younger cousin playing around on the playground. Taki and Kaze were completely focused on each other, throwing rocks in an attempt to hit each other. They were so into their competition that, at first, they didn't notice Hana, whom was trying to find a way to join in the game. But when she bent over to pick up some rocks, she leaned a little too far, and ended up falling to the ground. Her cry of pain and following sniffles distracted Kaze and Taki from each other, and right away they were at Hana's side, patting her head and trying to soothe her any way they could. In this adorable scene, Kirei found her answer.

It didn't really matter if Kirei and Ren hated each other's guts. What was important, should Kirei and Miyu become better friends, was that both Ren and Kirei cared about Miyu. And if they both cared, then they both would have to set aside their differences to be there for her…somehow… Kirei wasn't quite sure how that was going to work, but it was a worry for another day.

So with a smile and a breeze at her back, Kirei jogged over to join her younger companions in their merriment.

* * *

"Okay, is everything ready?"

"Yeah, I think so. We've got the cake, the presents, all the guests, the decorations—"

"Shh! Someone's coming!"

"Everyone hide!"

On the other side of the front door, Kirei was sitting on the steps, in a terribly foul mood. First, the twins had made her take them to the park to play with Taki. Then, the three had demanded that she buy them ice cream. Then, they wanted to play at the beach. Then, they wanted to ride every ride at the amusement park. And _then_, they had demanded to be taken to their favorite restaurant for dinner, ordered whatever they wanted, and made Kirei pay! It was unbelievable!

'_Thank God Uncle Himura came to pick them up after that,_' Kirei sighed gratefully, '_any more of that and I would have ended up doing something Mom would've killed me for later…Sigh. Who's having a bad birthday? Say I…_'

With another drawn out sigh, Kirei got to her feet, unlocked the door, and stepped inside—

—To be shocked nearly to death when all the lights suddenly flashed on at once and people from every conceivable place popped up and shouted "SURPRISE!"

"W—" Kirei couldn't even get a word in edgewise before dozens of friends and family surrounded her, singing "Happy Birthday" and congratulating her for turning 17. Kirei's eyes found her family, whom were all smirking at her, and she scowled playfully. "I guess I should've known you guys would be up to something like this," Kirei said once she'd broken free of the mob of well-wishers and merry-makers. "That would definitely explain why the twins were being doubly annoying today."

"Sorry," her mother apologized with a not-so-sorry grin, "but I asked them to lay it on thick today, and to do anything to keep you away from the house all day."

Kirei's face slipped into a put-out frown. "You needed _all_ day, Mom? Really? Do you know how exhausted I am?" she fussed, and her parents laughed.

"That's nothing a little birthday cake and presents can't fix, right, Kiddo?" Hiro joked, stepping aside so Kirei could see the magnificent cake and plethora of presents piled high on the table behind him. Kirei's eyes immediately went huge upon this sight.

"…Okay, all is forgiven," Kirei relented, and her family burst into hysterics.

And so the evening went on. Music was blasting, people were partying, and Kirei was having a fantastic time with her friends and family. She had to be shooed away from her presents once or twice, however, before it finally came time for her to blow out her birthday candles. With a thunderous chorus of "Happy Birthday to You" egging her on, Kirei thought hard, sucked in a deep breath and, miraculously, managed to blow out all seventeen of her candles.

"What did you wish for?" Phoenix asked curiously as Sakura began serving cake to everyone.

Kirei frowned at him through her mouthful of cake. "Phoenix, you should know better. I can't tell you, or else it won't come true!" she reprimanded, whapping him playfully on the arm.

"Someone's just a tad superstitious," Heisei commented from Kirei's other side. She stuck her tongue out at him before turning around to address her mother.

"Hey, Mom! When do I get to open my presents? …Mom?" Kirei called, but Sakura wasn't listening. She had her back to her eldest daughter, and something about the way she held her body abruptly caused Kirei to be concerned. She slipped out of her chair and approached her mother, placing a hand delicately on her shoulder. "Mom, are you alright—!"

A resounding crash was heard, and dead silence fell over the party as every head turned to stare at Sakura's back. Her hands were shaking, and the stack of plates that had just tumbled out of her hands lay shattered on the floor, totally ignored. Immediately, Hiro was at his wife's side, his auburn eyes tight with distress.

"Sakura, can you hear me? Saku, what is it?" he asked, gently shaking his wife's other shoulder. Sakura didn't look at him; she wouldn't look at anyone. Her wide chocolate orbs stayed transfixed outside the window, and her voice was just a whisper as she rose a shaky hand to point.

"Hiro…look…"

Hiro looked, as did the other guests and Kirei. Immediately, the mood of the room changed drastically from one of confusion to one of horror. Kirei barely registered it when Hana tugged on her skirt.

"Kirei-nee? Why is it snowing red snow?"

Kirei had no answer for her little sister. She didn't know what it meant either. All she knew was that the bone-chilling feeling in her spine meant that it was anything but good.

"This…this is impossible…" Sakura breathed.

"How could this be…?" Hiro agreed.

"What is it?" Kirei questioned, turning to her parents, "what does it mean?"

Her parents glanced at her, and the look in their eyes frightened Kirei into silence. Whatever it was, it was something _big_.

"We have to go check it out," Hiro said, and Sakura nodded in affirmation, her determination evident in her eyes.

It was then that Saitoshi, Heisei's father, stood up. "We'll go with you," he volunteered. All at once, he, Kato, Gaki, Moki, Himura and Shinta transformed into the second generation of Leafe Knights. Following suit, Hiro transformed and offered his right hand to Sakura. She accepted it, and with a flash of light and a multitude of colors, Sakura stood before them as the Wind Pretear. Swiftly, the Leafe Knights exited the mansion and took off into the sky, but Kirei stopped her mother from leaving.

"Mom, what's happening? What's going on?"

Sakura surveyed Kirei, and Kirei could tell that she was being evaluated not as Sakura's daughter, but as the third generation Leafe Knight of Wind. She stood a little straighter, wanting to look the part without actually having to transform.

"…I can't explain right now, Kirei," Sakura finally decided, and Kirei's face fell. Even though it was her seventeenth birthday, she felt like she was still being treated like a child. "…But," Sakura went on, and Kirei's expression became hopeful, expecting. "When I…when _we_ return…your father and I have a story to tell you."

Kirei could see herself reflected in her mother's eyes as they brimmed with so many intense emotions. Briefly, Sakura touched her daughter's cheek, and she smiled wistfully.

"…It was the story you asked for ten years ago."

* * *

**A/N****: Awright! Chapter Two is DONE! **

**Hiro: ….**

**MuraSakura: Again with the silent treatment?**

**Hiro: It's just…I'm surprised at how fast you're progressing…**

**MuraSakura: Ah ha ha, well that's only because I know what I wanna write right now. XP I haven't really planned for down the road stuff, so I'm probably gonna be stuck on the next chapter for a while…sad as that is…**

**Hiro: Either way…I'm impressed.**

**MuraSakura:…I'm sorry, what did you say? I had something in my ear, and I don't think I heard you right…**

**Hiro: (Scowls) Ha ha, very funny.**

**MuraSakura: Heh heh. Well, things are heating up quick! Red snow? What blasphemy is this? You'll find out next chapter (perhaps)! Review please! Onegaishimasu!**

**-MuraSakura**


	3. Chapter 3: The Search Is On

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: Dun dun dun da da da daaaaa! CHAPTER THREE IS HERE!**

**Hiro: Figured out what you wanna write now?**

**MuraSakura: Eh, more or less, but you know me: I love to wing it. ^.^**

**Hiro: That's your problem most of the time…**

**MuraSakura: Oh shut it. Kirei-chan! Disclaimer, please!**

**Kirei: (Pops up and smiles) No problem, Momma. (Clears throat) The authoress of this fanfic doesn't own Pretear in any way, shape or form. She also does not own Kai Hiwatari—he is property of the Beyblade franchise. The OCs of Tenshi Hiwatari and Hiniku Musika are owned by Mishi-chan and Invisible Love, respectively. **

**MuraSakura: (Hugs Kirei) Good job, sweetheart. Mmkay, here's where things start to get interesting! We left off with the red snow, a mysterious phenomenon that Kirei has yet to fully understand. What's gonna happen next? Let's find out! Chapter Three: START!**

**CHAPTER THREE: The Search Is On**

"Kirei, come sit down. You'll go crazy pacing like that."

Phoenix's voice was hesitant at first, but it grew firmer as he watched his cousin tread anxiously across the floor.

"I can't sit down," Kirei negated through the fingers in her mouth—she had become so nervous that she was chewing off her nails.

"Of course you can," Heisei insisted in a matter-of-fact tone, as if they were discussing Kirei's physical ability to have a seat instead of her mental stability to settle down.

Kirei's chocolate orbs blazed as she glared daggers at Heisei. "No I can_not_," she said forcefully. "I _can't_ sit down because I _don't_ know what's going on! Why is red snow falling? Why are our parents freaking out? What does all this _mean_? As a Leafe Knight, Heisei, **you** should be more concerned!"

By now Kirei was in Heisei's face, her nostrils flaring with her heavy breathing. In this moment, she was certainly her mother's daughter. But as frightening as this persona could be, it did not faze Heisei. He just sat there, staring calmly up at Kirei as her temper flared and simmered.

When it finally looked as though she was within reason, he began to speak. "As a Leafe Knight, of course I am concerned. It is my duty to be concerned."

Heisei nudged the bridge of his glasses up higher, his violet eyes sharp. "But it is also my duty as a Leafe Knight to keep my calm, even in dire situations. It is pertinent—vital, even—that I do not lose myself in emotions. If I am not level-minded, I am bound to be in far greater danger than usual. So tell me, Kirei—which one of us is the better Leafe Knight?"

Kirei bristled at the insinuation. She drew back, as if she were about to strike Heisei. However, before any damage could be done, Phoenix was behind her, locking his arms around her waist.

"Just settle down for a second, okay, Kirei?" he pleaded, crimson irises pained. "Fighting amongst ourselves won't do any good."

"Let go," Kirei growled. She was _not_ in the mood to be lectured, nor did she appreciate her cousin's restraining hold on her. Kirei struggled, but Phoenix was stronger; he had been trained to fight just as long as she had, and he was better at it. Eventually, Kirei gave up. "_Fine_. You're right," she conceded, and Phoenix relinquished his grip. Once free, the stressed girl resumed her pacing. "But I _hate _not being able to do anything! I'm a Leafe Knight too! I should be allowed to help!"

"We don't yet know what danger our parents are facing, Kirei," Heisei pointed out, his logic irritating Kirei yet again. "The most we can do is sit here and wait for news to come."

Kirei stamped her foot, resembling an impatient child. "I don't want to sit and wait! I want to _do_ something!"

"I know what we can do! Let's go to Leafenia!"

Kirei and her companions turned to the sound of the new voice. Just behind Heisei, there stood a young girl with pretty silver hair that was swept attractively to one side of her face. Her ruby orbs were alight with a passion Kirei immediately recognized, and a smirk that she knew all too well. In fact, if the "girl" ever realized that Kirei was marveling at how pretty "she" was yet again…

"Hey Tsurara, I didn't realize you were here. You look…nice," Kirei greeted, nibbling on her lower lip to keep from saying anything that would set the delicately-tempered Tsurara off. However, her expression seemed to be enough.

"Whaddya mean I 'look nice'? You're saying I look girly, aren't you? You want a piece of this?" Tsurara roared, lunging at Kirei in his agitation. Heisei had him by the scruff of his neck before Tsurara could get too close, however.

Frowning down at the fussy fourteen-year-old, the Knight of Sound spoke, "Honestly, Tsurara, you need to learn to stop overreacting to every comment made about your looks. If you want to stop appearing so feminine, try cutting your hair and gaining some muscle."

"I'm man enough to take you on!" Tsurara barked, now scrabbling to get at Heisei. "C'mon, try and take me in a fight! I dare ya!"

"You're rather unpleasant for someone who looks so cute," commented the sadistic Heisei, enraging Tsurara further.

'_Well there's the pot calling the kettle black,'_ Kirei noted mentally with a sweatdrop. Aloud, she called to Tsurara, "Why do you think we should go to Leafenia?"

Tsurara gave Kirei one of his looks, one that questioned her intelligence. "To train! Duh! Why else would we go? If you're so anxious to do something, what's better than getting ready for a fight?"

Kirei thought about it. She did not necessarily appreciate Tsurara's tone, but she did admit that he had a point. Since the twins had been placed under the care of Aunt Tenshi, Kirei was not required to babysit, so they were not much use sitting around the mansion, restlessly waiting for their parents to return with news. And when it came time for them to actually fight a threat, Kirei and the rest of the third generation of Leafe Knights would be worthless if they were out of practice. They needed time to prepare… and, as it so happened, they currently had all the time they needed on their hands.

Decided, Kirei nodded, her chocolate orbs determined. "Then let's go. To Leafenia!"

At once, Tsurara and Heisei were enveloped in bright lights hued frosty blue and lavender, respectively. When the light faded, they were no longer just Tsurara and Heisei. They were Tsurara, Knight of Ice, and Heisei, Knight of Sound. As Heisei focused on opening a portal to Leafenia, Kirei took the opportunity to transform as well.

It was the easiest thing in the world, transforming. She just focused on breathing in and out as she changed to her true form: a Leafe Knight. Kirei could feel the intensity of the wind seeping through her every pore, the raw power encasing her, almost dragging her under with its force…

But no—this was Kirei's power. She controlled it, not the other way around. Being a female Leafe Knight would _not_ make her weaker than the others. She refused to let it be that way.

With a sigh, Kirei opened her eyes, letting the leftover tingles of morphing shake off her. The transformation was complete. As she caught sight of herself in a nearby mirror, Kirei could not help but marvel at how cool she looked. She had seen the same uniform on her father, of course, but though the color schemes were the same, there were minor changes to her outfit. It was as if the Leafe knew that she and Hiro were the same, and yet different. Therefore, her Knight of Wind garb was short at the bottom, appearing more as a skirt than the long cloak it was on her father. In exchange, her white boots were lengthened, reaching her knees where they ended in a triangular shape. Her sleeves were barely sleeves. They were more like a billowy transparent mesh that went past her hands, with a high slit in each sleeve, the two parts held together by a fine chain link at the wrist. The wing insignia that was on her chest—or were they feathers? Kirei really wasn't sure, but supposed it didn't matter, since they were essentially the same thing—appeared at the ends of her boots, on her necklace, earrings, and rubber band that held her ponytail in place. Kirei grinned, because the wind-styled accessories were her favorite part of the transformation. If she could, she would keep them as real accessories.

"Kirei, hurry up! Quit spacing out or we'll leave you behind!" Tsurara heckled, breaking Kirei out of her self-admiration. Her face soured at his words, but he was already through the portal before she could teach him proper manners.

"I'm coming! Mou, don't have a cow… Phoenix?" Kirei caught sight of her cousin's face just before she stepped through the portal. He was wearing a peculiar expression, one that was crossed between wistfulness and apparent envy. What was wrong with him all of a sudden? "…Do you want to come?" Kirei guessed. His expression was beginning to concern her.

Phoenix blinked, and suddenly the look was gone. Abruptly, he was smiling brightly at Kirei. "It's okay. You go on ahead. I'll stay behind, in case you guys and your parents need a quick go-between. I'll only get in the way in Leafenia."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Now go on. Don't keep the others waiting; you know how they get."

"Okay…" Kirei reluctantly agreed, shooting Phoenix one last searching glance before she crossed over into Leafenia. She could always ask him what was bothering him later, she supposed, when the situation they were in became less urgent…

The transition from Earth to Leafenia was always disorienting to Kirei. To go from reality to fantasy in a manner of seconds was something she would never get used to. Even now, as she entered to beautifully-landscaped place, a large flock of Tyipi flew past, twittering loudly as if they were normal birds. Shaking her head, Kirei launched herself into the air to find where Heisei and Tsurara had gone.

She found them just a couple minutes later, and to her surprise, they were not alone.

"Hey, everyone's here!" she noted once she'd landed. And indeed they were. There was Akaru, in his Knight of Light uniform, apparently trying to stand taller than Heisei for some reason. Hanabi was nearby, fussing over Tsurara yet again, much to the Knight of Ice's annoyance. Taki was a little ways away, flicking water missiles at a harassed-looking Tyipi…

'…_Wait,'_ Kirei paused, frowning. They were missing one. Where was—?

"KIREI-NEE!"

"Oof!"

Something small—and yet very forceful—smashed into the back of Kirei's legs and caused her to fall face-first into the plush grass of Leafenia. She grumbled under her breath in displeasure.

"Tochi," Kirei sighed, turning over and sitting up—only to nearly fall over again when the young Knight of Plants tackled her torso next.

"I haven't seen you in FOREVA, Kirei-nee!" Tochi proclaimed, rubbing his face against Kirei's in affection. With some effort, Kirei managed to separate him from her so she could give him a stern look.

"And I've missed you too, Tochi, but I've told you about attacking me like that, haven't I? I can only handle your energy in small doses, or you're going to end up giving me bruises!" she scolded for what seemed like the billionth time.

Tochi's forest green eyes began to well up with tears; he didn't like it when Kirei was mad at him. "I-I'm sorry…I `just-hic-missed you, Kirei-nee…" he stuttered, rubbing at his eyes. Immediately, as she always did, Kirei felt terrible for reprimanding the youngest Leafe Knight.

"I know, I know… it's okay, Tochi. Look, all better. See? So don't cry!" she attempted to soothe, stroking Tochi's sandy hair. At her reassurances, Tochi's face lit up once more.

"Okay! I love you, Kirei-nee!" the child 'confessed', hugging Kirei around her neck and rubbing his cheek against hers yet again. Kirei sighed deeply, ignoring the looks of deep amusement from the other Knights. They all found Tochi's infatuation with Kirei hilarious as well as adorable. Kirei had found his behavior cute as well… for the first couple of weeks. It had all gone downhill from there.

"Enough playing," commanded Heisei, his strong presence silencing the shenanigans of the group. "We came here to train. If this continues, we'll be of no use when the real fight comes. It's time to get serious."

Heisei removed his glasses and tucked them away, his sharp violet orbs unguarded. Meeting the gaze of each and every Leafe Knight, he landed last on Kirei. To her, he asked, "Are you ready?"

Kirei said nothing for a moment. She got to her feet, putting down Tochi in the process, but allowing him to stand by her side and to keep one of her hands within his tiny grasp. Standing tall, her head held high, she returned Heisei's gaze proudly.

"I was born ready."

A hint of a smirk tugged at Heisei's mouth as he went into a defensive stance. "Let's hope so."

* * *

The concept of wind is a very fickle thing at times. On the one hand, it can be gentle and playful, offering comfort on a hot summer's day. But on the other hand, it can be fierce and temperamental, ripping off roofs and tearing fully grown trees from the ground, roots and all. Tonight, thankfully, it was in playful mode, breezing around and tugging at the scarf Phoenix's father had given him when he was five. He had never taken it off since.

Phoenix was not in the mood to play tonight, however. Rather, the wind was just making it worse, because it was bringing up thoughts he would really rather not think about.

He felt so useless. Phoenix knew Kirei, Heisei, and the other Leafe Knights had important jobs to do, which is why he tried not to get in the way whenever they had training. But now that they actually seemed to have a threat they needed to fight against, he was shunted off to one side, left behind to watch as the people he loved prepare for a battle he knew nothing about. He could only sit, watch, and wait. And he couldn't stand it.

That is why Phoenix left the mansion, in favor of fresh air. Guilt stabbed at him for not remaining behind like he promised, but he really needed to get out, or surely he would break something in frustration.

'_Why couldn't I have special powers too?,_' he thought bitterly. Then, realizing what he was thinking, Phoenix gave his head a hard shake. He shouldn't think like that. He knew very well of the struggles his cousin and best friend faced every day. Their lives would never be considered normal, and he should be lucky his was. He would never have to rush off in the middle of the night or during the school day, fighting a threat that was unpredictable, lethal, and could very well be the end of the world as he knew it…

Okay, this pep talk was not helping. It was only depressing him further. Shaking his head once more, Phoenix pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. The strange red snow may have stopped falling, but there was still an unusual chill in the air for August…

Phoenix ducked into a nearby building, one he often visited under happier circumstances, but this time in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

"Phoenix! Good to see you!"

Phoenix slipped into an easy smile upon catching sight of the store owner. "Hey, Mr. Teller. How's it going?"

"Slowly," the elderly man admitted with a benign chuckle. "If I had some help around here, though, I wouldn't have to stay so late doing inventory and what-not… hint, hint…"

Phoenix's smile twisted apologetically. "I'd love to, Mr. Teller, but you know I can't. Mom's rule: school first."

"Yes, yes… well, I suppose she's right in the end. School is important… but then again, so is work experience… anyway, I'm rambling. I've got some new merchandise in the back, so if you're interested, feel free to take a look."

"Thanks."

Phoenix strode right over to the 'Spinny Top Gadgets', as Mr. Teller had labeled them, where he browsed through a few new tops that were just imported from America. Phoenix had been interested in these things his dad called 'Beyblades' since he was a kid. He had a lot of fun putting them together, mixing and matching parts, though he did not buy his dad's whole story about there being tournaments with these things. After all, they were just spinning tops. How exciting could a tournament with them be?

Moving on to the back, Phoenix found there was new merchandise, just as Mr. Teller promised. He reached over to a Build-It-Yourself model car, wanting to read the 'Includes' section of the description… when another hand came out from nowhere and gripped the other side of the box. Startled—because he was usually the only one in there—Phoenix looked over to find the new guy from his school, who was just as surprised to see Phoenix as Phoenix was to see him. The unpleasant scene from Friday afternoon flashed through Phoenix's head. Awkwardly, he released the box.

"You can have it," Ren Yamashita assured him, letting go of the model car as well.

"No, it's fine," Phoenix replied, avoiding eye contact by inspecting another model car, "You take it."

After a moment's hesitation, Ren took the box, turning it to the precise section Phoenix wanted to see, his hazel orbs narrowing as he read the description. Phoenix observed him out of the corner of a ruby eye. "…So, you like model cars too, huh?"

Ren looked up, his eyes wary. "Yeah…" he replied slowly, his tone implying it was really none of Phoenix's business. Phoenix shrugged and turned his attention back to the car he was inspecting.

"I was just curious, is all. You look like more of a sports guy," he commented in an off-hand voice.

"…I play some basketball," Ren admitted after a moment.

"Me too," Phoenix replied, glancing up at Ren. As they sized each other up, a moment of understanding passed between the two. Phoenix gave Ren a tentative half-smile, which Ren returned. It was like the meeting of two alpha wolves after a battle for territory that ended in a stalemate. They each admitted that the other was powerful in their own respect, and that there was no reason to fight if they could be civil towards each other. Plus, they actually had a couple things in common. Who knew?

Once Phoenix and Ren had paid for their spoils from the hobby shop, they decided to take a walk and just chat. After all, Phoenix was not needed anywhere, and Ren didn't seem like he was busy…

They spoke about a multitude of things. Topics ranged from sports to model cars to… well, anything not about Ren. Phoenix learned very quickly that Ren did not like talking about himself. When he even broached a subject related to Ren's life in America, his parents, or his sister, Ren would immediately tense up and fall silent, glaring at nothing. Other than that, he was a pretty decent guy, in Phoenix's book. He was just a little moody.

"…That girl from the other day…" Ren began unexpectedly, and it was Phoenix's turn to tense up. He knew exactly whom Ren was talking about… The question was: where was this conversation going? "The loudmouth one… is she your girlfriend?"

Phoenix choked on the soda he was drinking. "K-Kirei?" he finally sputtered, his throat clear after a helpful thump on the back from Ren. "No way! She's my cousin!"

Ren blinked, which was his way to express surprise. "Oh," he replied, looking away awkwardly. After a moment, however, he asked, "Then is that black-haired boy her boyfriend?"

"Why are you so interested?" Phoenix wanted to know, quirking a curious brow.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, looking like he was trying to find the right words. "It's just… you two seemed very… protective over her."

"The same could be said about you, Yamashita-san."

"Ren," Ren corrected with a frown, "and what makes you say that?"

Here, Phoenix snorted in amusement. "You have to ask? Really? Don't you see how protective you are over your sister? You nearly took our friend Hanabi's head off just for touching her."

Ren's frown deepened, and he didn't reply.

"I mean, I can understand what that's like, of course," Phoenix explained, ruby eyes far away. "Kirei and I grew up together. She's the sister I never had… though she can kind of be a pain in the neck. She, Heisei and I… we're very close. So when you threaten one of us, you threaten all of us…" Phoenix sent a sheepish look Ren's way. "By the way, did I ever apologize for that? If not, I'm sorry."

Ren shook his head. "I would've done the same thing in your shoes, come to think of it. So I'm not mad."

"…But you still don't like Kirei," Phoenix guessed. Ren merely gave a half-shrug. "She's not bad once you get to know her, you know. It was just… a bad situation, I guess. Plus, it looks like she's becoming friends with your sister, so I'd wager you're going to see a lot more of her from now on."

"Hmph," Ren grunted, in that instant reminding Phoenix of his father, Kai. Phoenix stood up and stretched.

"I should be heading home. It's getting late and I need to… check up on things. So I'll see you later."

"Right," Ren mumbled, and Phoenix strode away, the parts for his new model car jangling in the plastic bag he carried. Which reminded Ren…

"Hey, Hiwatari. Hold on a sec."

Phoenix turned to find Ren jogging up to him. Again, he looked like he was trying to find the right words before he spoke. "That old guy who runs the hobby shop… is he hiring?"

"It sounds like it," Phoenix replied, recalling the conversation with Mr. Teller earlier. "Are you looking for a job, Ren-san?"

Ren scowled, and Phoenix belatedly remembered that Ren didn't like talking about himself. So he backed up and approached the query from the business side of things. "Mr. Teller's a nice guy, but he doesn't have a lot of customers, so you won't be paid much. He does his best, but still, it's a small business. Try the Want Ads in the local paper; they usually have really good jobs to choose from. I got a summer job that helped me put in a sizable chunk of money for my college fund."

Ren nodded and, without another word, walked away. Phoenix stared after him for a second, and then remembering that he really needed to get home, dashed off once more. But his thoughts stayed with Ren Yamashita just a few minutes longer. He got the distinct feeling that, though he learned a lot about Ren Yamashita tonight, it was only scratching the surface.

* * *

Falling. Kirei was free falling through the skies of Leafenia, her eyes closed as gravity hurled her towards the ground below. But she was the master of this trajectory and, at the last minute, she shot up at an acute angle, nearly knocking Akaru out of the sky. She did not hear his protests, nor could she. Kirei was in the zone.

There. The wind was disturbed, parting to her right. An attack was slicing through the air, headed straight for her. Chocolate orbs open, Kirei bore her forearm and summoned her shield, which deflected the attack. That didn't stop her attacker, however, which happened to be Tsurara at the moment. He kept hurling icicles at her, and she continued to duck, dodge, and deflect, her agility and defense skills on par tonight. She brought her hand down in a slicing through the air. A blast of wind energy shot straight at Tsurara, knocking him off-balance.

"AHHH! MY HAIR!" he cried out in anguish. Kirei sweatdropped.

'_Yeah, 'cause yelling something like _that _won't make people think you're a—Whoa!_' Kirei's internal rant was cut short by the appearance of Heisei, who didn't bother with a greeting or a warning before throwing a punch at her. She blocked it just in time, thankfully, but Heisei was just beginning. And so began their hand-to-hand battle, both evenly matched, but still just as competitive. The other Leafe Knights paused in their training to watch their Knight of Sound and Knight of Wind duke it out, mouths opening in awe when the two became blurs of color as their battle intensified until—

"They're back!" Tochi cried, pointing at a portal that had just been made. Kirei and Heisei halted, both with fists raised in mid-air. Sure enough, they were back and the first to arrive through the portal was the Wind Pretear, otherwise known as Sakura.

"Mom!" Kirei cried, plunging to the ground below in her eagerness to know what happened. As soon as she touched down, however, Sakura had diffused from Hiro, and Kirei only had enough time to watch her mother's eyes roll back in her head before she passed out. "Mom!" Kirei called out again, more urgently this time as she rushed forward to help. But Hiro already had a firm grip on Sakura, hoisting her up into his arms.

"She's fine," Hiro assured his daughter, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "She's just tired. We need to let her rest."

Kirei knew enough of her mother's attacks to know they were caused by extreme stress. She had panicked the first time her mother had one, since she had no idea what was happening. They began to happen more frequently when the twins were first born, but because of that, Kirei knew that the best thing she could do in the situation was to calmly let her mother rest and help in any way she could. And though Kirei was absolutely _burning_ with questions, all she could do now was nod.

* * *

Three and a half hours later, the multitude of questions Kirei had were now boiling like molten lava, threatening to spill over the brim of her mind and to her lips. But no one was in any shape to answer them. The elder generation of Leafe Knights had all gone home to their families, exhausted by whatever they had found out there. Her father was too preoccupied by her mother's state; he sat on his side of the bed, clutching his wife's hand, as if he was willing all the Leafe he had into his wife… though that really wouldn't do any good, since her fatigue was mental instead of physical.

And Kirei sat there on her mother's other side, pressing a wet cloth to Sakura's forehead and re-wetting it whenever it dried. That was her duty for the moment, since the twins were still in the care of their aunt. But this simple task did nothing to soothe Kirei's uneasy mind, and she kept tugging at the Leafe charm that was woven into her bangs, much like the way Hiro wore his. Kirei was trying her hardest to be patient for her answers, but when would they come? Tomorrow? A week from now? Never?

'_Stop that,_' she mentally chided herself, '_your mother is on her sick bed and all you can think about is you. Quit being so self-centered for once and give her the attention she needs._'

Kirei sighed. Her inner voice was right. Though she silently whined in the back of her mind that it was still her birthday and she could be as self-centered as she wanted, Kirei needed to focus on what was really important at the moment, and that was her mother's health.

"Hnn…" Sakura groaned, her eyelids twitching.

"She's waking up," Hiro sighed with relief, some of the tension in his face lessening. Kirei came to the abrupt realization that this was the longest her mother had ever been unconscious due to her 'Stress Syndrome', as it was called.

When Sakura's eyes finally opened, they first went to the love of her life, to which she smiled weakly at to assure him that she was all right, and then to the matching pair of irises her daughter owned.

"Welcome back, Mom," Kirei greeted, smiling gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Actually," Sakura spoke as she moved to sit up, "I think I'm—"

Her mother swayed dangerously, and Hiro lunged over to catch her before she toppled over the other side of the bed. "_—not_ okay," she finished weakly. "I just need to lie still for a while…"

Kirei eyed the trash bin near her foot. "Are you feeling sick at all?" she inquired, half reaching down to retrieve it, just in case. But Sakura shook her head.

"I'm fine, Sweetheart," she promised. "I'm just tired."

"What happened?" Kirei asked. She had meant to ask the question in mild curiosity, but it burst from her as if her life depended on it. Hiro gave his daughter a sharp look for pushing her mother when she had just woken up, but Sakura merely laughed. It was a weak echo of her true laugh.

"I suppose I've kept you waiting long enough, haven't I? Alright then: I'll tell you," Sakura decided, ignoring her husband's anxious looks. However, Kirei could contain her excitement no longer.

"What did the red snow mean? Is it something bad? Wait, that was a dumb question, of course it was bad, otherwise you wouldn't have rushed off like that! So what happened? What exactly did the red snow do? What did you—?" Kirei's tirade of queries was cut short by the hand her mother raised.

Sakura shook her head good-naturedly at her daughter. "I can't give you any answers if you bombard me like that," she reasoned with a smile. "In order for you to fully understand, I need to start from the beginning…"

And so her mother launched into a story that was decades old, featuring the grandparents Kirei had never had the chance to know: Hayate and Himeno, the original Knight of Wind and the Legendary White Pretear. Hiro assisted in the story-telling, filling in the gaps of Sakura's story, explaining things that had happened before she had come into the picture. They spoke of the other original Leafe Knights, and of the Princess of Disaster, Fenrir. They explained that red snow was the mark of a Princess of Disaster, and how it stole Leafe from the earth. Kirei interjected with questions every now and then, but otherwise sat in awe, drinking in every word of the lineage she was never aware of. She saw now that the stories her parents told to lull her to sleep were not stories at all, but the legacy left by her grandparents. Knowing that made the stories all new in her brain, more exciting.

"So where do you two come in, then?" asked a dissatisfied Kirei when her mother claimed that was the end of the story. "That can't be it. After all, I'm here! What happened next?"

"That's a rather long story too, unfortunately," Sakura admitted, a sweatdrop rolling down her cheek at her daughter's insatiable thirst for knowledge.

"Didn't someone write it down somewhere or something…?" Hiro grumbled, also a bit put-out with Kirei.

"Yeah, right. Who would have the time write all that stuff down?" Sakura chided her husband.

"The point is," Hiro barreled on, "that red snow fell tonight for the same time it fell in the past: a Princess of Disaster has awakened."

Kirei's chocolate orbs grew larger than her face could handle. "Is that who you were fighting?" she wondered.

"No, actually," Sakura denied, unintentionally shooting down her daughter's fantasies. "We've been fighting her little pet pests instead: Demon Larvae."

"Demon Larvae?" Kirei echoed, wrinkling her nose as the words rolled off her tongue. Whatever a Demon Larvae was, it sounded icky.

"Yes, Demon Larvae," Hiro confirmed, the distaste in his tone mirroring his daughter's expression. "They are minions sent by the Princess of Disaster to do her bidding and steal the Leafe from everything that exists on this earth. That's what we were fighting against tonight."

"Only…" Sakura began, a frown etched into her dark face, "it was different this time. Or was that just me?"

Hiro's expression hardened as well. "No, I felt it too. Somehow, they've become more powerful. Whoever this Princess of Disaster is, she is a foe to be reckoned with."

"Hold on," Kirei interrupted, "I thought only a Pretear could become a Princess of Disaster?"

"That's what we thought too, originally," Sakura admitted.

"But since Keiko became one, and I'm pretty sure she was never a Pretear, I'm beginning to think the power of darkness can be wielded by anyone, if it falls into the wrong hands…" Hiro pondered. A dark look was exchanged between him and his wife, and even Kirei came to understand that this situation was very troubling.

'_Princess of Disaster, red snow, Demon Larvae…ack! I feel like I should be writing all this down!_' she mentally berated herself. Out loud, Kirei asked, "So, what does this mean for me and my generation of Leafe Knights? What can we do to help?"

Another look between Hiro and Sakura. After receiving an assuring nod from his wife, Hiro turned to his daughter… his heiress to the Leafe Knight of Wind title. "Unfortunately… it looks like this will very soon become your problem."

"Huh?" Kirei choked out before catching herself. "You mean… me, Heisei, Akaru, Hanabi, Tsurara, Taki and Tochi… we have to face this threat ourselves?"

"Not at first," Sakura rushed to assure her daughter, seeing the panic that was taking over Kirei's chocolate orbs. "We're definitely going to help until you kids know what you're doing… the problem is finding a new Pretear."

"We need a new Pretear?"

"Yes. It was the same way with Himeno-san: as she got older, she realized her Preting powers weren't as on par as they should be, so when a Princess of Disaster arose, the second generation of Leafe Knights had to search for a new Pretear. And, considering I have a rather inconvenient handicap of my own, it's up to your generation of Leafe Knights to find a new Pretear." Sakura explained.

The panic Kirei had been trying to stave off reared back full force. "But… but how do we do that?"

Apparently feeling that a demonstration would be more effective than an explanation, Hiro reached over and brushed his wife's right palm with his own. A burst of Leafe resulted, but not enough to actually cause them to Prete. Kirei's eyes flashed in understanding.

"We need to touch her right hand," she concluded. And then she frowned. How on Earth were they going to accomplish this? There had to be a million girls on Awayuki Island, let alone the rest of the world! Would they have to travel from place to place, searching to the ends of the earth, all for a Pretear?

Sakura must have sensed her daughter's distress, because she reached over and patted her daughter's head. "Don't worry, hun," she soothed, smiling when Kirei met her gaze. "It really won't be as difficult as it sounds. Just bear in mind that everything happens for a reason. Absolutely nothing is coincidence."

"Never lose faith," Hiro added. "Even if you don't find her right away, she'll come to you. Count on it."

"Is that how it happened with you?" Kirei questioned, looking from her father to her mother. The two gazed at each other, speculating.

"…I suppose it is," Sakura admitted, as if she'd just realized this fact. She shared a half-smile with Hiro; they both apparently found this amusing.

Kirei got to her feet then, seeming to struggle a bit. It was as if the new task she carried was literally weighing heavily on her shoulders, the weight yet to be distributed among the rest of the third generation of Leafe Knights. "Okay. I'm going to go tell the others, then. The search for a new Pretear is on," she declared, clenching a fist in determination.

"Good luck," Sakura wished, beaming in pride as her daughter strode from the room, her head held high. Once she was gone, however, Sakura's expression became anxious. "What if—?"

"Shh," Hiro hushed her, a finger at his wife's lips.

"But—"

"Uh-uh, none of that," he chided, frowning now. "You just had an attack. You wanna push it and have a relapse this soon?"

Sakura fell silent, but her forehead still crumpled with worry. Hiro leaned over and kissed it.

"Relax. Kirei's a tough girl. She gets that from her mother."

Sakura rolled her eyes at that comment. "I know she'll be fine. And I know they'll find a Pretear in time."

"Then what's the problem?" Hiro wanted to know.

His wife remained quiet, fiddling with her wedding ring, her jaw working as if she were chewing some things over. When he could not stand the uncharacteristic quiet any longer, Hiro placed a finger under Sakura's chin and tilted her head up so her eyes would meet his.

"What's wrong?" he asked, auburn irises boring into chocolate orbs.

"…Kirei's a girl, Hiro," Sakura said at last. Her husband lifted his eyebrows.

"Yes, that's what the doctor announced when you gave birth to her," he replied sardonically. Sakura ignored this jibe.

"Hiro… will Kirei even be able to Prete with a Pretear?"

That shut Hiro up. Suddenly, his wife's anxieties didn't seem so silly.

"Honestly… I have no idea. It's never been attempted with a female Leafe Knight before…"

"Because there has never _been_ a female Leafe Knight before."

"Very true."

"So, what do we do? What _can_ we do?"

Hiro surveyed his wife. The years that had gone by had changed them both, but he swore his wife was aging faster than he was. It must be from the stress of worrying over three kids, one a supernatural being, and the other two being twins. That had to take a toll somehow. But he would never say that Sakura had sprouted gray hair or anything. Her speedy maturation was purely of mind. He leaned over to kiss Sakura's forehead once more.

"We watch. And we wait. That's all we can do. For now."

And, for once in her life, though Sakura did not agree with Hiro's decision, she accepted it.

* * *

**A/N****: Whew! Chapter Three DONE! Things are finally picking up! Sorry it took so long; I got busy with college things.**

**Hiro: And lazy…(Ducks the authoress' swing from Daddy Frying Pan) Ha! My defense—(Gets whacked from behind by a mallet-wielding Kirei) x.x**

**MuraSakura: Ha! Isn't good enough, apparently! (High fives Kirei) Hooray for double teams! XD Personally, my favorite part of this chapter was Kirei asking for Hiro and Sakura's story. XD "Are you crazy? Who'd write all that crap down?" I would! XP Okay, anyway: thoughts? Questions? Just wanna say hi? Leave me a review! Please and thank you!**

**-MuraSakura**


	4. Chapter 4: Many Misunderstandings

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: TA-DAH! Here is Chapter Four! Yay!**

**Hiro: Oh joy.**

**MuraSakura: You know, your negativity is not appreciated, Mister. I much prefer Kirei's cheerfulness.**

**Kirei: (Grins) Ha ha, Momma likes me best.**

**Hiro: (Ignores Kirei) That's because she has no idea what she's gotten into. I've been here long enough to know what to expect from your madness.**

**Kirei: But Daddy, isn't that redundant? After all, you can't predict craziness.**

**Hiro: …Quiet, newbie.**

**MuraSakura: Oi, be nice, she's your daughter too! Anyway, disclaimer please, Kirei!**

**Kirei: Sure. A-hem! The authoress of this fanfic doesn't own Pretear in any way, shape or form. She also does not own Kai Hiwatari—he is property of the Beyblade franchise. The OCs of Tenshi Hiwatari and Hiniku Musika are owned by Mishi-chan and Invisible Love, respectively.**

**Hiro: Hey, how come she's so much tamer in the Author's Notes? Usually she's as bad as you.**

**MuraSakura: Oh yeah? You want two overbearing women in here, Hiro?**

**Hiro: ….**

**MuraSakura: (Smirks) Didn't think so. Okay, let's go! Chapter Four: HAJIME!**

**Kirei: That's Japanese for "Start!"**

**Hiro: …Nope. Too easy. (Gets hit by Daddy Frying Pan) OW!**

**CHAPTER FOUR: Many Misunderstandings**

"… _is…?"_

"…_quest…"_

"… _go…my…things."_

"…_do you…have…?"_

"…"

"… _you miss…?"_

"…_not. I can't… feelings I… with him."_

"… _don't…get rid of…?"_

"…_can't."_

"…_Why…?"_

"…_something wrong…"_

"…_What…you…?"_

"… _I touch it…see is…feels evil…"_

"…_Then you…away…"_

"_No… be destroyed…"_

Kirei jerked awake once more, this time in a cold sweat. It was that dream again. It was the same, and yet, completely different. And it was still muffled, like bad radio reception. Kirei fell back in her pillows, frustrated for no reason. She did not know why hearing the whole conversation was so important now, when last time she had not cared. But this was the second night in a row that she had had such a dream, and it was seriously starting to disturb her.

'_I'm just under a lot of stress right now…_' Kirei told herself as she sat up in bed, stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. '_Everything Mom told me yesterday was bound to take a toll on me, somehow. I'm having weird dreams now because I'm stressing, that's all…_'

Still, that strange feeling that she knew who the speakers were would not go away…

A loud grumbling sound penetrated Kirei's musings. It took her a second to realize that that sound was coming from her stomach.

'_Time to tame the wild beast,_' Kirei joked to herself, slipping out from under the covers and heading out of her room to raid the kitchen.

When she got downstairs, Kirei was happy to see that her mother was up and about, sipping from a mug of coffee as she flipped through some papers on the counter.

"Morning, Mom," Kirei chirped, passing her mother and heading to the refrigerator.

"Hi, Hun. You're up early," Sakura noted, smiling at her daughter as she passed.

"Yeah. I had a really weird dream," Kirei explained as she rummaged through the fridge.

"What about?"

"…." Kirei grasped the gallon of apple juice they had in the fridge, contemplating. Should she tell her mother about the strange conversations she had been dreaming about? "…It was nothing important," she decided, grabbing a glass from the next cabinet over.

"Oh yeah? Don't want to talk about it now, huh?" Without turning around, Kirei knew that her mother was smiling at her. The phrase "Mother Knows All" was incredibly appropriate in the Awayuki household. "Well, it's just as well that you don't want to talk about it right now," Sakura continued, and Kirei could hear her heading towards the kitchen table on the other side of the room, "we have company."

'_Company_?' Kirei turned around, expecting to see one of her aunts or uncles at the table with her mother. Instead, to her extreme horror, Kirei's chocolate orbs came to rest on none other than Ren Yamashita. She let out a gasp, and her glass nearly slipped through her fingers.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _HE_ DOING HERE?" Kirei shrieked at the top of her lungs, pointing a demanding finger at Ren. He quirked an eyebrow, as if she were overreacting to his presence and that it was a normal thing for him to be at her house at ten in the morning.

Sakura also wore a similar expression. "First of all, watch your language, young lady. And second of all, Yamashita-san is here to answer our ad for a new gardener. …Is that a problem?" Kirei's mother wanted to know, her expression switching from disapproval to expectant.

"…." Once again, Kirei was left speechless. On the one hand, Kirei could tell her mother all about the harassment she was put through by Ren Yamashita's hand, and he would be thrown out on his butt so fast he would not even have time to explain himself. But on the other hand, if Kirei tattled, that would give Ren yet _another_ reason to hate her. Not that Kirei particularly cared of course, but Phoenix and Heisei could not protect her all the time. And Kirei was not _that_ strong…

'_What's with that defeatist attitude? You could take him!_' Kirei's stubborn side reassured her, but reality would not let her indulge in such fantasies. Those rippling muscles in Ren's biceps would not be ignored.

"I apologize, ma'am," Ren suddenly spoke up, and Kirei was shocked again at how appealing his voice was…when it was not angry. "Your daughter and I…we sort of started off on the wrong foot, the first time we met."

"Oh, is that so?" Sakura said; her expression was amused for some reason Kirei could not fathom.

Ren shot a quick side-glance at Kirei before continuing, "But she's friends with my sister, so we're working out our differences and learning to get along better."

'_Since when?_' Kirei's thoughts wanted to know.

"Well, that's good," Sakura approved, making it worse. "It's not good to fight when you're friends with the same person. It takes a toll on them, and that's not fair."

"Didn't stop us, though, did it?" Hiro's voice preceded him around the corner. Sakura made a face at her husband when he finally appeared, fussing with his tie as always.

"First of all, I wasn't using us as an example. And second of all, _you_ always started it," Sakura accused; her irritated words were contradicted by her helpful actions as she fixed Hiro's tie for him.

"Oh, really?" Before Sakura knew it, her husband had her pinned against a wall with his arms ensnaring her, and he was looking at her with a serious-yet-teasing expression. "So you wanted to marry me because I always started fights with you? In that case, should I attack you all the time now?"

Sakura's expression was scandalized now. "Oi, oi! Back up! When did you become such a sadist?" she screeched, her face flaring up as Hiro smirked at her.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed, Saku…"

"Ah, don't kiss me there! Go to work already!"

"Would you guys _please_ cut it out? We have company, for Kami's sake!" Kirei finally burst out in exasperation, her face beet red. Honestly, did they _have_ to constantly act like lovesick teenagers? Kirei was really glad that they were so in love, but that did not mean she wanted to _see_ it all the time!

Hiro finally glanced over, the teasing of his wife forgotten once he laid eyes on the young man seated at the kitchen table. "Who is this? Friend of yours?" Hiro's gaze shifted over to his daughter briefly before coming back to Ren. The way his eyes hardened as he said the word 'friend' suggested that he sincerely hoped that was all this boy was to his daughter, if anything.

Kirei snorted in an un-ladylike fashion. "Hardly," she began, instantly making her father nervous. Before she could finish, however, Kirei was cut off by her mother.

"Hiro, this is Ren Yamashita," Sakura introduced as Ren stood up, "he's here to apply to be our new gardener."

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Ren spoke up. His face was the epitome of seriousness as he and Hiro shook hands.

"Oh, so you're applying for a job," Hiro realized, and Kirei rolled her eyes at the obvious relief in his voice. "All right, then. I can appreciate a young man with good work ethic. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir," Ren responded, still serious. Kirei was beginning to wonder if he ever smiled.

"Well, I'm off. Have a good day, you two," Hiro wished, kissing his daughter on the forehead before pecking his wife on the lips. "And we'll pick up where we left off later," he whispered suggestively. Sakura and Kirei both flushed a deep red, though for decidedly different reasons.

"You two are _so embarrassing_," Kirei grumbled once again after her father had left. Fanning herself with a sheet of paper, Sakura cracked a knowing smile at her daughter.

"Says the teenager wearing pink unicorn pajamas too sizes too small. Besides," Sakura pressed on, ignoring her daughter's mortified splutters, "one day, you'll find a boy who makes you feel the way your father makes me feel. And then you won't think it's so gross."

Kirei's face slipped into a frown. "I doubt it," she denied. She did not think anyone could be more in love than her parents were.

"What? Are you into girls rather than boys?" Kirei's mother questioned, misunderstanding her daughter's doubts.

"MOM!"

"Just a question, Hun. There's nothing wrong with it if you are, of course."

Kirei smacked her forehead and groaned. Yes, she realized her mom was kidding, but Sakura's sense of humor was so _warped_ sometimes. Kirei wondered often if her mother was truly mentally sane.

"Well then, I thank you for stopping by, Yamashita-san," Sakura dismissed, and Kirei stiffened in horror. She had totally forgotten that Ren was there! And he had seen _everything_! Another smack and another groan. There was no way Kirei was going to live this down.

"I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule for me, ma'am," Ren thanked, sinking into a bow so low that it shocked Kirei.

'_The brute actually has _manners_?_' she thought in awe, watching as her mother showed him out the back door, promising a phone call once she had made her decision. As the door shut behind him, Sakura turned to her daughter with a smile.

"Well, he was a nice young man. How come you've never mentioned him before?"

Kirei rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Because, one, he's new. And two, we're NOT friends, no matter what he says."

"Oh, really? Interesting…"

Kirei's eyes followed her mother around the kitchen for a moment before she just had to ask. "What do you mean 'interesting'?"

"Nothing," Sakura lied lightly, chocolate orbs sparkling. They contrasted greatly with her daughter's expression.

"Mom, I don't like that look in your eyes…"

"Oh relax, Kirei. There's nothing to worry about. Let's just say that I've 'been there, done that' when it comes to situations like this one."

"Huh?"

"Like I said, nothing to worry about. Can you go get Kaze and Hana for me? Breakfast should be ready soon, and I don't want to pull the maids away from their duties."

"…" Kirei gave her mother one last bewildered look before doing as she was told. When did her mother start speaking in riddles anyway? Kirei just did not understand that woman sometimes.

As her daughter left the kitchen, Sakura glanced back down at Ren Yamashita's resume. Her fingers drummed against the counter as her mind raced. Should she, or should she not? There would be consequences, Sakura knew, if she did. They could even be dire, somewhere down the road. But if she did not, her life would be that much less fun. Sakura's brow furrowed. Go for it? Or don't even think about it?

'…_Well,_' she finally decided, '_what's the worst that could happen?_'

Firm in her decision now, Sakura picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Yamashita residence.

* * *

By the time Monday morning came around, Kirei was coiled tighter than a rattlesnake, ready to strike at the first sign of a threat.

Her birthday party—which was nice while it lasted—had ended disastrously with a new and unknown danger that weighed heavily on the shoulders of the third generation of Leafe Knights, Kirei specifically. The fact that she was not quite sure where to go from here was what worried her the most.

Kirei was the Knight of Wind. Therefore, she was supposed to be the leader of the Leafe Knights. That was how it had always been, and she would not let a stupid factor such as gender dictate otherwise. But despite her boisterous disposition over her supposed role, Kirei was at a loss for what to do. She fretted all through her classes that morning, chewing on her nails as her thoughts knotted together in a bundle of confusion and doubt.

'_What am I supposed to do if this new threat shows up during school hours? Do I just leave? What would I tell my teachers? Would they even notice I was gone with all the confusion going on? How would I get to Heisei, Akaru and Hanabi for help? As the leader, what exactly is expected of me?_'

On and on the questions went, seeming as if there were no end to them. Just when Kirei felt like she was about to take out a page from her mother's book and pass out from sheer stress, a distraction in the form of a notebook flopped onto her desk. She stared for a moment before glancing up, surprised to find that Yuki Kaneiro was standing before her. His blue eyes were amused, and his perpetual smile was bright as always.

"Oh, hi Kaneiro-san…what's this?" Kirei asked, pointing down at the notebook.

"Notes on today's class," Yuki replied. Kirei could hear the mirth in his voice as he continued, "Since you seemed too preoccupied to notice that class was over, I figured you hadn't had a chance to do much note-taking either. So I decided to help you catch up."

"Oh, this isn't necessary—" Kirei tried to refuse, but Yuki waved her off with a patient smile.

"It's all right, truly. Think of it as repayment for letting me borrow your notes last week. Also, this is for you."

Yuki placed something else on Kirei's desk. This time, it was a leaflet, with a picture of a white mask and a rose printed on it. There were words as well, but instead of reading it herself, Kirei simply looked to Yuki once more for an explanation.

"The Drama and the Choir Departments are collaborating to put on a fall musical this semester: _The Phantom of the Opera_. Tryouts are tomorrow, and I thought you'd be interested. From what I hear from the choir teacher, you're a phenomenal singer."

Kirei flushed, her ego swelling despite her embarrassment. "Oh, I'm not that good…"

"No need to be modest," Yuki assured her, still smiling, "after all, we need someone really talented for the female lead, and you just might fit the bill."

"A musical, huh…" Kirei mused to herself, staring down at the flyer. She had never participated in a play before, let alone a musical. Her artistic strengths were solely in singing. But, then again, who was to say that she could not act? She probably could, if she wanted to. It could not be _that_ hard. "I'll think about it," she finally decided, giving Yuki a smile. "Thanks, Kaneiro-san."

"I hope to see you there, Awayuki-san."

With one final smile, Yuki left the room. Barely two seconds had passed before Heisei strode in, Phoenix right behind him.

"Kirei, come on! It's lunch time!" Phoenix announced, followed by a demanding growl from his stomach.

"I see someone skipped breakfast again today," Kirei teased as she gathered up her things.

"What did Yuki Kaneiro want with you?" Heisei wanted to know. Kirei looked up in surprise, but Heisei's violet eyes were turned towards the door, where Yuki had just left.

"What, were you spying on me or something?" Kirei shot back, scowling at Heisei for being so nosy.

"Don't avoid the question."

"Hypocrite!"

"Guys," Phoenix reprimanded, a sweatdrop rolling down his cheek as he cut them both off. "We're at school, remember? You'd kind of get in trouble if you got into a sparring match here."

"Hmph. For your information," Kirei began heatedly as they headed towards the cafeteria, "Kaneiro-san was helping me out. I was…behind in my notes, so he offered to let me borrow his notebook."

Heisei adjusted his glasses so that they flashed in the fluorescent light of the cafeteria. "How unnecessary. You simply could have borrowed notes from me."

'_Yeah, but not without a fee,_' Kirei's inner voice grumbled. With a shudder, she recalled the last time she had been desperate enough to call on Heisei for help catching up in her notes. Her sadistic friend had forced her to agree to be his own personal slave, a day for every page she borrowed. If she had not been so desperate to study for the big test that was coming up…

"He also wanted to tell me about some play the school's doing this semester."

"Ah. _The Phantom of the Opera_," Phoenix said, nodding. At Kirei's questioning look, he explained, "I heard some girls talking about it when they swarmed me in homeroom. From what I hear, it's really popular."

"Really? I've never heard of it…" Kirei admitted as they sat down at their usual table, bewildered brows furrowed.

Heisei sighed and shook his head, as if he were disappointed in something. "So uncultured," he reprimanded Kirei—much to her displeasure—before going into his bag and retrieving what appeared to be a thin book. He then tossed it with inhuman speed at Kirei. Luckily, her reflexes were well-trained, and she caught it without a problem.

"Heisei! You're not supposed to do that kind of stuff here!" Phoenix scolded, looking put-out when Heisei merely shrugged him off.

"You just happen to carry a copy of _The Phantom of the Opera_ script around with you?" Kirei questioned, her suspicions roused. Heisei shook his head again, a smug look on his face that Kirei did not like.

"I just happen to enjoy the musical. Also, I just happen to be the assistant director of said musical for the Awayuki High School performance," Heisei stated in a manner akin to shameless bragging.

"Is there anything you _don't_ participate in around here?" Phoenix asked, looking put-out once more.

'_Over-achiever,_' Kirei thought, her expression similar to her cousin's. "Look, I don't have time to read all this before tomorrow's tryouts, so can you just give me the abridged version?"

"The intricacies of the musical cannot be condensed. It loses its magnificence if one tries to cram it into a thirty minute play-by-play," Heisei denied, with an air of offense, as if Kirei should be executed for asking such a thing. She rolled her eyes at his dramatic antics.

"Why don't we just watch the movie tonight? I hear it's good," Phoenix suggested.

"It does not do the mystique of the actual play justice…but I suppose it's a suitable alternative," Heisei said, his own pompous way of agreeing to Phoenix's idea.

"Whatever," Kirei sighed, putting the script away and taking out her bento. "I just wanted to know the gist of things. I didn't know I was asking for the im—"

Kirei had looked up while she was speaking and, quite by accident, met the hard hazel irises of Ren Yamashita. He and his sister just happened to be passing by their table, and Kirei had looked up at the wrong moment. But neither of them looked away. Instead, their gazes locked.

'_Aw crap! I was hoping I wouldn't run into him today!_' Kirei silently lamented, her face flushing crimson at the memory of yesterday's embarrassing morning. She scowled at Ren, daring him with her eyes to make one remark, just one, about her parents or her pajamas. She would be out of her chair and on him so fast that he would not even have time to blink.

However, to Kirei's surprise and relief, Ren said nothing. He just stood there, silent as always, with a peculiar look on his face, as if he were sizing Kirei up. Her chin jerked upward, her pride and stubbornness becoming evident as she refused to look away from him.

The tense moment was broken when Ren simply nodded to Kirei—shocking her endlessly—and moved on from the table without a word. Kirei also noted the faint smile Miyu offered her before following her brother, but Kirei was still reeling from the sudden show of respect Ren had displayed. A part of her was almost disappointed. A nod? Really? What was all that about?

"Oi, Kirei. Wake up," Heisei called, flicking a chunk of rice at Kirei's forehead.

"Hey!" she growled, brushing the excess rice off her forehead. "What was that for?"

"For spacing out again. It is bad manners not to pay attention to the person speaking to you," Heisei lectured in the self-righteous manner he was so adept in.

"Oh just bite me, Heisei!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Can't you two go a _day_ without fighting?" Phoenix cut in once again, now looking annoyed with his friends. "Jeez, you cause a scene wherever you go! Knock it off already!"

Kirei let out a snarl, but she did as Phoenix asked and dropped her quarrel with Heisei. Besides, it was not him Kirei wanted to fight with. Not really.

Her thoughts returned to the new threat they were to face. Not having an actual name or an image of their mysterious foe only made Kirei all the more anxious, because she had no idea who to trust and whom to be wary of. The stories her mother told her of her grandmother and the original Leafe Knights had only fed Kirei's fears of deception and betrayal. As she watched Heisei and Phoenix banter back and forth about guy things, Kirei could not help but wonder: would one of these two boys she was so close with—had practically grown up with—ever betray her? Would they ever stab her in the back for reasons that only made sense to them? Though such thoughts seemed impossible, as the leader of the Leafe Knights, Kirei could not deny that there was a possibility to her morbid musings.

And what about finding a Pretear? Kirei's mother had mentioned that a Tyipi could assist them in their search, but could only give them a general area of where the Pretear might be. And still, even if Awayuki Island was the first place on their list to look, there were thousands, if not millions of girls who could have the potential of a Pretear. How in the world were they supposed to seek her out in such a large space? It was not like they could gather all the girls in Awayuki Island to one spot and shake their hands in a process of elimination…

…Or could they?

"Heisei," Kirei suddenly spoke, frowning in concentration as the details of her idea worked themselves out in her head, "how well is the musical being advertised for?"

"Well, we have a few takers. But most of them only know about it because they are involved in the Choir or the Theatre Departments…why do you ask?" Heisei queried.

To this, Kirei smirked.

* * *

"It's a good thing Mr. Takahara likes us, or he would've _never _let us skip today's class for this."

"Our grades are adequate enough—thanks in large part to me—that we can afford to miss a class or two."

"Even if they weren't, I think Mr. Takahara would've been up for this anyway—he's dating the choir teacher after all."

"Hey, keep it down, Kirei. That's supposed to be a secret."

"Oh please, it's not a secret. The whole school is taking bets on how long it'll be before they get married!"

"In any case," Heisei interrupted, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose once again, "I'm admittedly impressed by your plan, Kirei. It might have taken me an hour or two more to think of it if you hadn't suggested it first."

Kirei rolled her eyes. "Oh please, just admit that I can be just as brilliant as you."

"Let's not get hasty here…"

"Do you think we might've gotten a little carried away, though…?" Phoenix asked, a sweatdrop rolling down his cheek as he observed the remodeling job they had done on the main hallway of the school. On every possible surface save for the ceiling and the floor, flyers for _Phantom of the Opera_ coated the place, demanding attention no matter where one looked.

"The more the better!" Kirei asserted again for what seemed to her like the billionth time. "This way, no one can say that they had no idea we were putting on a musical! That way, we get a lot of people interested in the idea, hopefully lots of girls seeking the spotlight will want to come and try out—"

"—And we have an effective way to seek out the Pretear," Heisei finished for her. "Well done, Kirei."

Kirei adopted a snooty look. "What can I say? I'm a genius," she boasted, oblivious to Phoenix's eye-rolling and shaking of his head.

Right on time, the bell rang, and doors on either side of the hallway were flung open as students poured out of the classrooms, eager for the school day to end. However, many of them slowed in their pursuit of freedom, thrown off-guard by the new wallpaper that covered the hallway. Kirei, Heisei and Phoenix hung back to watch the effects their overzealous advertising would have on the students of Awayuki High.

Most were bemused, of course—they could not grasp just what was so exciting about some musical that it had to be publicized to _this _degree. Others were annoyed, because the flyers obscured their lockers and were such an eyesore. But there were some—and that "some", to Kirei's delight, was growing into "many"—that jabbered to their friends excitedly about the flyers, waving them around and giggling. That gave Kirei hope that maybe, just maybe, her plan would be effective.

"Oh wow…" a soft voice breathed behind Kirei, and she turned around to find Miyu there, wide-eyed as she stared about the crowded hallway. "So many…"

"Isn't it great?" Kirei asked, beaming. Miyu's bewildered gaze landed on Kirei, her hazel irises filled to the brim with questions. "The school's putting on _The Phantom of the Opera_ as the fall play this year. You should try out, Miyu-san."

Miyu's face turned pink. "Oh, I-I don't think I could—" she stammered, waving her hands in front of her face in denial.

"Why not? You should at least give it a shot, right? What've you got to lose?" Kirei encouraged. Miyu's gaze returned to the flyers and, for the briefest moment, Kirei could have sworn sadness had swept through her new friend's eyes. But before she could ask, a large, tan hand clamped down on Miyu's shoulder. Kirei knew she did not have to bother to look to know who it was, but she did anyway, once again meeting the eyes of Ren Yamashita. When gazing at the two together like that, Kirei found that she was having trouble believing they were siblings.

"Oh, hey Ren-san," Phoenix suddenly greeted, a happy-go-lucky smile in place once he noticed Ren was standing there.

Distracted, Ren broke his gaze from Kirei to look at her cousin. "Hiwatari," he greeted in return as Kirei watched on, stunned. What was this? Since when were Phoenix and Ren so friendly to each other?

"How's the job hunt going?" Phoenix asked politely, oblivious to the growing tirade of betrayal and disbelief right beside him.

Ren's eyes abruptly narrowed in concentration on Phoenix, as if he were trying very hard not to look anywhere else. "It's going."

"I see," Phoenix replied cautiously, misreading Ren's look as a sign that he did not want to discuss it. "Well, I wish you luck."

"Thanks. Are you ready to go?" Ren asked, dropping his gaze to his sister.

"Oh…sure," Miyu agreed, and the two turn to leave.

"Hey, hold on, Yamashita," Kirei commanded, staying the two siblings. Miyu turned in surprise, thinking that Kirei was speaking to her with such harsh tones, and she wondered in quiet dismay what she could have done to offend the other girl.

But Kirei's gaze was on Ren, her chocolate orbs narrowed in suspicion. That was it? Phoenix had come dangerously close to broaching the subject of Ren being at Kirei's house in search of a job—all the while witnessing the embarrassing scenes that took place in her kitchen—and Ren said nothing? Nothing at all?

Kirei's immediate conclusion was that if Ren was keeping his silence, then he was up to no good. She opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath, ready to call him out on his devious plots, before she was shocked once more into silence at the sight of _Ren Yamashita_—of all people!—sinking into a low bow right before her, much like the one he had given her mother. Kirei's eyes bugged out, threatening to fall out of her head at any second.

"…Awayuki-sama," Ren addressed Kirei, astonishing her so much that she could barely move, could barely breath. "I want to apologize for being so rude to you in the past. And…thank you, for being nice to my sister."

'…_WHAT?_' Kirei's thoughts screeched, but out loud, she was speechless. As Ren straightened up, all Kirei could do was stare into his eyes, searching for the lie in his words. To her ever-increasing surprise, she found none.

"Ren-nii…?" Miyu queried, her hazel orbs wide as well. Her brother did not meet her gaze, however. He just turned around and began to head back the way he had come.

"Let's go, Miyu," he called without looking over his shoulder, "I have things to do today."

"Okay…" Miyu replied, looking back to cast Kirei one bewildered glance before following after her brother.

A long and stunned silence followed the Yamashita siblings' departure. Eventually, Heisei cleared his throat.

"Well…that was interesting," he remarked.

"Yeah…" Phoenix exhaled, breathless from his shock, which was only a small echo of Kirei's astonishment. Abruptly, the female Leafe Knight whipped around and glared so sharply at her cousin that he almost believed that daggers were impaling his skin.

"Question, Phoenix…" Kirei finally spoke, her voice almost calm…except that she was speaking through her teeth. "When the hell did you and _Yamashita_ get so cozy?"

Phoenix threw up his hands so fast that one would think he was about to be attacked by a rabid animal. "WHOA, easy, Kirei! I ran into the guy the other night! We talked a bit, and it turns out he's actually not that bad! You don't need to take my head off for it!"

"You 'talked'? About _what_, exactly?" Kirei growled, slowly advancing on her cousin. Phoenix was scuttling back two steps for every stomp Kirei was taking towards him. His crimson eyes found Heisei, silently pleading for help. But Heisei merely smirked and deliberately looked the other way, signaling that Phoenix was on his own for this one.

"Does it matter? Kirei, come on," Phoenix pleaded, finally standing his ground. "I know you guys had your differences, but he just apologized! Can't you just let it go?"

"No!" Kirei cried indignantly while stamping her foot for added effect. "That guy has had a bad attitude from the first time we met, you _know_ that, Phoenix! He's been rude to me, he attacked Hanabi, he's _almost_ attacked me on a number of occasions; he even had the nerve to show up to my house yesterday to ask for a job!"

To this, Phoenix blinked in surprise. "He came to the mansion looking for a job? Wow, the guy must need the cash…"

"I don't care what he needs!" Kirei cut her cousin off. "All I know is that he _won't_ be working at _my_ mansion! I'm going home _right now_ to tell my mom not to hire him!"

And with a huff, Kirei stomped off to await the arrival of Tanaka, whom she would demand to "step on it" so she could get home as soon as possible. She was on a mission and _nothing_ would get in her way.

"Jeez…" Phoenix sighed, rubbing his temple, where a headache was beginning to form.

"Should we bet on who will try and murder whom first?" Heisei suggested, smirking as he went to stand beside Phoenix. Phoenix gave his best friend a brief sour look before sighing once more.

"I think we should worry about who else will get hurt in the midst of their fighting. I feel bad for Ren-san's little sister, I really do."

Heisei nudged his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Well, I would think she's used to it. Judging from her brother's behavior, it would seem he engages in many battles for her sake. In any case, it's time to leave. You better hurry, or Kirei will leave you behind."

Heisei was already walking away by the time he was done speaking, but since he was the Knight of Sound, he could still pick up Phoenix's muttered, "I wonder…" before his best friend followed after him. Briefly, Heisei pondered which Phoenix was wondering about: his threat of Kirei leaving him behind or Ren Yamashita's little sister. He ended up putting the matter entirely out of his mind after a second. It was not important enough to ponder upon for any longer, after all.

* * *

"MOM!" Kirei shouted as she burst through the double doors leading out to the Awayuki Garden. Sakura looked up, as did Tenshi and Hiniku, whom were visiting for the day. A frown etched itself into Sakura's face as she locked eyes with her daughter.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I know I raised you with better sense and manners than to just throw open doors like that," Sakura immediately scolded, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "Now go back inside and try it again."

"But Mom—"

"Do not argue with me, young lady."

Kirei sighed dramatically, but she did as she was told, because her mother was scary when she was angry. Once she had re-entered the garden, Kirei cleared her throat and assumed a humble manner. "Oh Mother Dearest, may I have the pleasure of making conversation with you?"

"Your sass isn't appreciated, Kirei Himeno Awayuki," Sakura reprimanded, contradicting Tenshi and Hiniku, whom were giggling hysterically behind her.

At the sound of her full name, however, Kirei sobered up at once. "Sorry, Mom. I just really need to talk to you. It's an emergency."

Sakura stiffened for a brief second before her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait, what do you mean 'emergency'? 'Emergency' as in Leafe Emergency? Or 'emergency' as in something most likely inconsequential that seems like an emergency because you're a teenager?"

Kirei frowned. She did not like this description. "Since those are my only two options, I guess the second one—but it's _not_ inconsequential!" she insisted, sensing that her mother's attention was already waning, "It's seriously important, and I have to know! Tell me—did you already hire a gardener?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. _This_ was what all the fuss was about? "Yes, I did," she admitted, suppressing a grin at the apparent horror on her daughter's face. "Why are you so interested?"

"You _know_ why!" Kirei instantly fussed, fearing the worst. "_Please_ tell me you didn't hire—"

"Ma'am, where did you want the begonias?"

'_Kami, KILL ME NOW,_' Kirei's thoughts groaned in dismay as her worst fears were confirmed when Ren Yamashita turned the corner of a nearby hedge and came into view. On a better day, Kirei would have admired the sight of him in a form-fitting wife beater that showed off his muscular arms and torso, but at the moment she was too horrified for coherent thought. In his hands was a large planter full of begonias that he carried over for Sakura to inspect.

"Hm, they're a little wilted," Sakura stated with her brow puckered in concentration. "Plant them near the fountain, would you? They'll get a lot more sun that way."

Ren nodded and turned to leave, but paused at Kirei's dismayed cry.

"Mom, you didn't!"

"What's wrong with you?" Sakura wanted to know, annoyed at her daughter's overreaction.

"I told you yesterday that I _hated_ this guy! And then you go ahead and _hire_ him? What did I do to deserve _this_?"

"Oh would you calm down? You're kicking up a fuss for nothing!"

"Mom, I don't feel _safe_ with this guy here! You don't know what he almost did to me! He—"

Kirei's protests were cut off with a squeak as her upper arm was seized by Ren. His expression was dark as he leaned in and growled, "Can I talk to you for a second?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and headed deeper into the garden, hauling Kirei behind him and ignoring her protests and demands for liberation. Sakura, Tenshi and Hiniku watched them go without a word, and once they were out of sight, Hiniku turned to Sakura.

"You hired him on purpose, didn't you?" she accused, a sly smile on her face as she observed her friend. Sakura winked and put a finger to her lips.

"I'll never tell," she teased as she re-joined her friends. Tenshi, while amused, wore a foreboding look on her face.

"You do realize that this means your household will be that much more noisy, right? And the bloodshed will be unreal…"

"Point taken," Sakura admitted, glancing over in the direction her daughter and her new gardener had disappeared to. She tugged on a strand of hair that framed her face and nibbled on her lip a bit before turning back to her sister. "Do you think I made a mistake?"

Tenshi tilted her head to the side thoughtfully before she answered, "Possibly, but I don't think you'll have to worry much for right now. The worst that could happen is that he'll quit."

"But they do have some _serious_ chemistry going on right now," Hiniku butted in with a giggle.

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "You think so?"

"You don't?" Tenshi teased. "She _is_ her mother's daughter you know. And she and Yamashita-kun are already starting to remind me of a couple of stubborn teenagers I used to know…"

To hide her embarrassment, Sakura stuck her tongue out at her pair of friends, and they all burst into a fit of giggles.

* * *

"Ouch! Hey, it's impolite to drag a lady anywhere against her will! Do you hear me? I said LET GO!"

Kirei was finally successful in wrenching her arm away from Ren's grasp. She stood there, fuming, as Ren kneeled down and set the planter of begonias on the soil next to the fountain. Then, he turned around and glowered at Kirei. She took a reluctant step back, feeling intimidated as he loomed over her…though she would rather die than admit so out loud.

"What is your problem?" Ren wanted to know as he continued to scowl, "I apologized to you already. What more do you want?"

Kirei huffed in disbelief. "ExCUSE me? You think a stupid apology is enough to get you off the hook?"

"I reiterate: what more do you want?"

"I want you to get the hell out of here! This is MY house, and you have no business being here!" Kirei demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. In response, Ren quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh? The last time I checked, I was hired by your mother, not you."

"That's because she doesn't know how horrible you really are!" Kirei burst out in frustration. "She only sees the sheep's clothing you donned yesterday, you conniving wolf! I almost fell for it earlier, too, with that façade of an apology you gave me!"

"It wasn't fake!"

"It was too! If you were really sorry, you wouldn't be here causing me grief again!"

"I'm here to _work_, not cause you grief!" Ren snapped, irritated at how overbearing Kirei was being. "If I had my way, I wouldn't have apologized to you at all! But since you're the daughter of the Awayukis, I had no choice!"

Kirei's retorts died in her throat as she stared at Ren in disbelief. There it was again, even from Ren Yamashita. That "special" treatment she had come to loathe. That damned prejudice that everyone seemed to harbor against her.

Because she was the daughter of the richest couple on the island.

Because she was an Awayuki.

"…How...how _dare_ you…" Kirei snarled, her bangs hiding her eyes from view. Ren paused, suddenly aware that he had crossed some hidden line. But before he could do anything else, Kirei was in front of him in a flash. She roughly rammed her shoulder into Ren's chest, catching him by surprise and causing him to lose his balance. With a yelp, Ren fell backwards and into the fountain, causing a huge splash. He sat there, soaking wet and in shock, staring up at the livid Kirei before him.

"I AM NOT SOME RICH GIRL YOU HAD TO SUCK UP TO SO MY PARENTS WOULD HIRE YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "In case you were too STUPID to notice, my mother hired you herself! She knew I hated you, and yet she hired you anyway! So HOW DARE YOU suggest that I'm simply an attachment of my parents!"

Before Ren could react, Kirei reached down and yanked him up by his shirt so that they were almost nose-to-nose. "Yes, I AM an Awayuki! But I'm my OWN person, so don't you EVER insinuate that I'm just a pawn to be used to get to my parents! If you EVER repeat this mistake, I will hit you _so_ hard that you'll wake up an old man in a hospital breathing through a tube! Do I make myself clear?"

Ren was shocked speechless. He could do nothing but stare at the enraged girl before him, marveling at how fiery she truly was. But his eyes, though cold, were also keen, and behind Kirei's enormous anger, he saw something else: hurt. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Ren had severely hurt Kirei's feelings when he said what he did.

"…" Ren pushed himself to his feet and grasped Kirei's hands, instantly putting her on an edge sharper than the one she was already occupying. But as she stared into his eyes, Kirei found no hostility there. Rather, there was an abundance of another emotion: regret. Kirei's eyes widened. She was surprised once again by how handsome Ren was, when the muscles in his face weren't forming a frown. But in return, he looked so vulnerable. This was the first time Kirei had ever seen him with his defenses lowered. She was still trying to figure out how she felt about it when he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Awayuki-sama. Really, I am," he apologized, looking awkward but sincere. But Kirei's bad mood returned with the unwanted suffix added to her surname.

"_Don't_ call me that," she growled, wrenching her hands from under Ren's grasp. "I'm not _royalty_, for Kami's sake. My name is _Kirei._ Use it," she asserted, before realizing that she had just told him to use her first name. Crap.

'_Well, it's better than Awayuki-sama_,' Kirei comforted herself, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

"Kirei…" Ren spoke, testing it out. An involuntary blush flooded Kirei's cheeks for some reason, but she decided to puzzle about it later.

"Yeah," she approved, nodding. Kirei hesitated at first, pondering over her words, before she decided to plow right on through. "Since you're going to be working here and I'm going to be seeing you a lot, do you care if I start calling you Ren?"

Surprise flitted through Ren's face once more. "You're not going to get me fired?"

"No, I guess not," Kirei sighed in defeat. Now that she had vented most of her frustrations out, she found that she was not all that furious about Ren working there anymore. She would see him more often, sure, but since Kirei was already becoming friends with his sister, the point was pretty much moot anyway.

But that did not mean she would be letting Ren off the hook that easily.

"But just because I'm letting you stay does _not_ mean you're allowed to slack off," Kirei declared, putting her hands on her hips. "That means that this garden better be nothing short of _perfect_, or you'll be out of a job so fast it'll make your head spin. Got it?"

"Yeah, I get it," Ren grumbled, finally climbing out of the fountain. He yanked his sopping wet shirt off and began to wring it out, unintentionally giving Kirei a view of his perfectly sculpted abs. Her face now bright red, Kirei turned around to give Ren some privacy, coughing self-consciously.

"I, uh, I'm sorry I pushed you into the fountain," she apologized meekly.

"It's fine. I kind of deserved it," Ren replied easily. When Kirei snuck a peek, she found that his back was to her as he kneeled over the begonias, which had gotten soaked by his falling into the fountain as well.

"Hey, you never answered my question," Kirei huffed, annoyed for some reason she could not place. Ren turned to look at her over his shoulder, the coldness in his hazel eyes returning.

"What question?"

"The usage of your first name. Yes or no?" Kirei asked again.

Ren turned his attention back to the drowned begonias. "I don't care. To be honest, I never got why using the surname or the given name was so important to the Japanese."

Kirei raised an eyebrow. "You _are _Japanese. And you still follow that rule."

"Doesn't mean I understand it. And I'm only half-Japanese."

"…Oh yeah. Your mom is American, right?"

Ren looked over at Kirei sharply. Something in his expression made her raise her hands in defense.

"Miyu-san told me," she explained.

Ren said nothing. He just returned to his work. Kirei rocked back on her heels for a bit.

"So…in short, I'm allowed to call you Ren?"

Ren huffed in exasperation and looked over at Kirei once more. "Wasn't it you who told me that I had to work hard in order to keep my job?" he reminded her.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Remember, nothing short of perfect!" Kirei reminded him needlessly before turning on her heel and walking away. She had gotten a few feet before she heard him muttering to himself.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me, doesn't it…?"

For some reason she could not explain, Kirei got the feeling that Ren was not talking about the garden.

* * *

**A/N****: I REALLY wanted to add more to this chapter…but since it's already 19 pages long, I figured I should probably stop it here. XP There will be more chapters, after all.**

**Hiro: Ugh. You're still at it? I was hoping you'd give up after the first couple of chapters.**

**MuraSakura: Never! I actually have somewhat of a plot going on now! Plus I have much more to come! It's gonna be SO much fun, heh heh heh…**

**Hiro: Oh no, not the evil laughter!**

**MuraSakura: Oh shaddup. You have nothing to worry about; you're a minor character now! I'm done torturing you…for the most part. XP**

**Hiro: Really? Then why am I still here?**

**MuraSakura: …Good point. I should replace you with one of the newer characters.**

**Hiro: What? Wait, I was kidding!**

**MuraSakura: Too late! HA HA HA! What do you think, readers? Should I keep Hiro's sorry butt in these Author's Notes? Or should I replace him with someone else? If so, who? Lemme know by reviewing! Oh, and also tell me what you thought of the chapter, ha ha. **

**ありがとうございます！****(That's Hiragana for "Thank you very much!" I love the language function on my computer, heh heh heh…)**

**-MuraSakura**


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected Talents

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: YAY! I LIIIVE!**

**Hiro: Crap…I thought you had given up already.**

**MuraSakura: NO! I just wasn't sure of the path I should take for a while! I knew exactly where I wanted to go; I just didn't know how to get there yet!**

**Hiro: Pfft. Then why didn't you stop and ask for directions?**

**MuraSakura: …Don't make me replace you with Heisei.**

**Hiro: Meh, empty threats. I could use a vacation, though…**

**MuraSakura: Oh, I'll send you on a vacation…how do you feel about Heaven?**

**Hiro: …I'm not quite ready to die yet.**

**MuraSakura: Then shaddup. Anywhosie, sorry for the delay, people! One, like I said, I really wasn't sure what to write next to get where I needed to go. Also, I thought it didn't matter, since no one but my close friends were reading this fic, but I recently noticed I have reviews from people I DON'T know personally! For you guys, I wrote this in one night!**

**Hiro: 'Cause she was stuck in bed sick and had nothing better to do… (Gets hit by Kirei's mallet) Ow!**

**MuraSakura: (Pats Kirei on the head) Good girl, you're learning. Here, have a cookie.**

**Kirei: (Swipes cookie) OM NOM NOM NOM NOM!**

**MuraSakura: … (Sweatdrops) Ooookay, since Kirei is apparently busy with that cookie, I guess I'll do the disclaimer! A-HEM! The authoress of this fanfic doesn't own Pretear in any way, shape or form. She also does not own Kai Hiwatari—he is property of the Beyblade franchise. The OCs of Tenshi Hiwatari and Hiniku Musika are owned by Mishi-chan and Invisible Love, respectively. …By the way, in case none of you have noticed yet, I'm just copying the same disclaimer from previous chapters and re-using it. Nothing changes about it, really.**

**Hiro: Lazy.**

**MuraSakura: Emo.**

**Hiro: Wh—I am not emo!**

**MuraSakura: You are so! You used to cut—**

**Hiro: YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!**

**MuraSakura: —your hair every time you were reminded of Keiko…? Wow, Hiro.**

**Kirei: You have issues, Daddy.**

**Hiro: …**

**MuraSakura: Moving on! So, here's Chapter Five in all its Ren x Kirei hating goodness! :3 By the way, if you guys enjoy my story, reviews would be appreciated. I'm less-inclined to update if I think no one is reading my stuff. So review please, kay? Chapter Five: START!**

**Kirei: Gambatte!**

**Chapter Five: Unexpected Talents**

"Oh c'mon, Miyu-chan! Just try it! I promise you'll like it!"

"Hand me that beaker, please, Kirei-san."

Kirei's face soured—she was not used to being ignored, nor did she appreciate it—but she did as she was told. Watching in silence, Kirei was careful not to disturb Miyu as she carefully poured some chemical Kirei did not know into the solution they were working on. It bubbled and fizzed when the foreign chemical made contact, but nothing blew up. Therefore, Kirei assumed it was safe for her to start talking again.

"It couldn't hurt, right? It's just an audition, you know? Just one little audition!"

Miyu sighed and turned weary eyes towards her friend. "Kirei-san, I'm really not comfortable with the idea…"

"Why not? There's nothing to be afraid of! I'll be there, after all!" Kirei tried to assure her shy friend. Unfortunately, the worried crease between Miyu's eyebrows did not smooth. Kirei began to frown. "Miyu, you're a great girl. Seriously. I don't understand why you're so shy all of the time. If you lowered your guard a little, I'm sure you'd have a lot more friends…well, that and if you learned to ditch your scary older brother."

Miyu giggled a little at the wry look on Kirei's face when the mention of her brother came up. She had been "escorted" by Ren to her Chemistry class when Kirei and Phoenix had approached. Phoenix and Ren had been cordial enough to each other, which was a pleasant surprise for Miyu, but she began to get nervous when her newfound friend and her brother made eye-contact. A tense moment had come into being, but it was gone just as quickly when Ren and Kirei had acknowledged each other in the most peculiar way…

"…Kirei," Ren had greeted, nodding casually to Kirei. If this had not surprised Miyu enough, the icing on the cake was when Kirei returned the gesture, addressing her brother by his first name as well! It was the strangest thing!

Miyu was not alone in her mystification either.

"When did you two get on a first name basis?" Phoenix had asked, staring open-mouthed at his cousin after Ren had left to attend his next class. Kirei had shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"Since yesterday. We have an…understanding, you could say. Come on, Miyu-chan, class is starting," Kirei had chirped, not-so-subtly changing the subject as she linked arms with Miyu and pulled her into the classroom. The shy girl had glanced back at Phoenix briefly, and he had shrugged at the question in her eyes. After all, he had no idea what had taken place between Kirei and Ren either.

So here they were now in the middle of class. Miyu still quietly wondered what caused the change in attitude between Kirei and Ren, but she was afraid to ask. If she kept quiet about it, maybe the strange "understanding" her friend and her brother had with each other would last for a long time.

However, Miyu's refusal to ask her questions meant that she was an open-target for Kirei's own third degree…a fact that she had learned too late, unfortunately, because once Kirei got started, she refused to be side-tracked. Unless she side-tracked herself, anyway. And it looked like she had just given Miyu the perfect ammunition to help do so…

"Ren-nii's not so bad, really. He's just…misunderstood. Honestly," Miyu insisted, smiling slightly at the doubtful expression Kirei was wearing. "He's not a bad guy, just…very overprotective. He gets into so many fights, and all because of me…" At this point, Miyu's voice trailed off, and she adopted that forlorn look Kirei sometimes saw in her eyes. Concerned now, Kirei decided to change the subject.

"Well, you should really do stuff without him always lurking over your shoulder, you know? It'll help you come out of your shell," Kirei insisted yet again. When Miyu still did not look convinced, Kirei sighed airily, and tried a compromise this time. "Okay, Miyu-chan, I have a confession to make: I'm _really_ nervous about this audition. I've never been in a play, so I don't know if I'll do well enough. So I'll make you a deal: if you audition with me, I'll stop pestering you about it. And if you don't like it, then you don't like it. Lesson learned. But if you _do_ like it…well, imagine," the Knight of Wind finished, waving her hand in the air with a flourish.

Truthfully, Kirei was not nervous about this audition at all—but figured she should be, so in her book, it counted. She could see the conflict in Miyu's eyes as the shy girl deliberated, and Kirei held her breath, hoping that her friend's compassion was greater than her shyness.

"…All right, I'll do it," Miyu finally agreed, and Kirei cheered gratefully, embracing her friend in her excitement.

"Thank you thank you _thank you_! You will not regret this, I promise!" Kirei squealed, earning her a reprimanding look from Mr. Takahara.

'_I really hope you're right, Kirei-san…_' Miyu thought to herself, biting her lower lip. She was just hoping the nausea did not settle in before she could get the audition lines out.

* * *

By the time it was Kirei and Miyu's turn to audition, the latter of the two had a stomach full of butterflies that she feared would spew from her mouth, should she dare open it. There were a LOT of people here, most of them girls, and many that sang much better than Miyu could ever hope to. What was she doing here again?

"Kirei-san…" Miyu began, trying to communicate to the other girl that she really could not go through with this after all. But one look at Kirei's face crushed any hopes of escape Miyu harbored.

"We're here already, Miyu-chan. No point in turning back now, right? Look, you're up!" Kirei announced, pushing Miyu's reluctant form out onto the stage when the chorus teacher called for the next audition participant.

"Good afternoon, young lady!" the chorus teacher, Ms. Utani, chirped brightly. "I'm so glad you could make it to the auditions for this play! It's going to be a very big deal, you know. But anywho, enough of my rambling! Could you please tell me your name and which part you'll be auditioning for? The lead is still open, you know!"

Miyu, to Kirei, appeared to be a little overwhelmed by Ms. Utani's chatter (which Kirei was already used to). Kirei began to feel a little guilty. Maybe Miyu really was not ready for this after all…

"U-uh…" Miyu stuttered, her small frame trembling. "Uh, I'm uh…I'll be, um…"

'_Poor Miyu. Should I go out and save her?_' Kirei began to wonder to herself, biting her lower lip. At this rate, it looked like Miyu would burst into tears before she sang anything.

However, before Kirei could even take a step, a life line in the form of Heisei Musika intervened.

"Calm down a little, Miss," he spoke formally, his voice like flowing honey. Immediately, Miyu relaxed, as well as all of the other girls in the auditorium. Kirei smirked, recognizing the power of the Knight of Sound at work. "It's okay to be nervous, but don't be so frightened. Just do your best, and everything will be alright. Now then, would you introduce yourself and tell us what role you would like to play?"

Miyu's face was bright pink, and she felt dazed. She never really noticed how handsome Kirei's friend Heisei was…oh, but that was not important right now. Right now, she was supposed to be auditioning for the play…for the lead role, in fact. That sounded impressive enough…

Miyu cleared her threat, and said in a loud, clear voice, "My name is Miyu Yamashita. I will be auditioning for the role of Christine Daae."

"Splendid!" Ms. Utani cheered, hopping up onto the stage to hand Miyu a sheet of lyrics while Heisei fiddled with a boom box. "Well now, we shall play the background music, and you just sing along, dear! It's all you!"

The first notes of the song "Think of Me" began to play and Miyu swallowed her nervousness. This was no time to be scared. She just had to go for it!

Though her voice trembled slightly in the beginning, as the song went on, Miyu's singing grew stronger, and she sung every high note beautifully. Kirei was sufficiently impressed, and she gave herself a pat on the back for talking her new friend into trying out. Kirei herself was planning to try out for the lead part as well, but all things considered, she would not be unhappy if Miyu was lucky enough to play Christine.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on Kirei's shoulder. She squeaked in surprise and turned to find Yuki Kaneiro behind her.

'_Whoa. How come I didn't hear him coming?_' Kirei wondered to herself as Yuki smiled at her.

"Hello, Awayuki-san. I'm glad you made it," he greeted. His smile was infectious; Kirei felt the corners of her mouth tugging up in response.

"Thanks. I'm glad to be here. Are you planning on trying out, Kaneiro-san?" she wondered. Yuki's smile grew brighter.

"I am."

"For what part?"

To this, Yuki winked. "Ah, that's a surprise. I don't want to jinx it, because I really want this part."

Kirei's eyebrows quirked. She had not realized how serious Yuki Kaneiro was taking this play. "Well then, I hope you get the part you want. Good lu—ah, break a leg, I mean." Kirei cringed at her slip, but Yuki simply laughed good-naturedly.

"Same to you. Looks like it's your turn," he said. Sure enough, when Kirei turned her attention back to the stage, she found that Miyu had finished, and Ms. Utani was beckoning for her to come out.

"Ah, sorry! I'm coming! Well, talk to you later, Kaneiro-san…?" When Kirei twisted to bid goodbye to Yuki, he was already gone. Though she was a little put-off by how silently the school idol moved, she did not spare it a second thought and walked up to perform. She put her best effort into her audition, which earned her a dazzling smile from the chorus teacher.

"Thank you, Kirei-chan. That was beautiful, as usual. Keep your eyes open when I post the parts on the board, okay?" with a conspiratorial wink, Ms. Utani turned to welcome the next musical hopeful. Feeling confident, Kirei stepped off the stage to be greeted by a handshake from Heisei.

"Well done," Heisei complimented her. Despite herself, Kirei was pleased with his praise.

"Thanks. So…any luck?" Kirei asked in a low voice. Heisei knew instantly what she was referring to.

"Not yet. All the hands I've shaken so far have not been responsive to my Leafe. I missed a few, though—they were either too shy or too scared to shake my hand, like your timid friend. She ran off as soon as her audition was done."

"Oh," Kirei sighed, feeling guilty again. Miyu really must have been scared out of her wits.

"It's fine. In any case, this is a good start. We'll expand our search from here if we find no one who has Pretear potential in our school." Heisei muttered, as the next girl approached. Kirei tried to be surreptitious about watching their hands as Heisei and the girl shook hands. But she was instantly disappointed—no Leafe-like shimmer of any kind.

"At least things have been quiet lately," she said after the giggling girl had scampered off.

Heisei's glasses flashed in the light as he adjusted them. "Yes…but it's been too quiet. We should be most careful at this time. I don't want to be caught unawares."

Kirei nodded to herself. Rather than comforting, the lack of incidents was putting her on edge. Whoever was behind the attack on her birthday was now dormant, and she did not understand why. What was that person plotting? Where were they now? And most importantly, if they became active again, and the Leafe Knights had no Pretear, what would they do?

'_Pretear or no Pretear, this is our job. This is MY job. No matter what, I have to protect this island. We all do,_' Kirei mused, her thoughts determined. This was her destiny, after all. And if there was one thing Kirei could not go against, it was destiny.

* * *

Two days later, the audition results were posted on the board outside the auditorium. As soon as Physics was over (or let out early, since Mr. Takahara could tell no one was paying attention), Kirei dragged Miyu over to the auditorium, where a group of girls had already gathered. It took a minute to push through the crowd, but one by one, girls began to disperse in either elated or depressed moods. Finally, Kirei was close enough to read the cast sheet, and her eyes immediately went to the name next to the role of Christine Daae.

"…Oh," she breathed, her eyes widening as she saw her name listed as the lead role. But she was at a loss for how to react. On the one hand, she felt like doing cartwheels down the hall and screaming in jubilation over her triumph. But at the same time, guilt tugged at her happiness, reminding her that Miyu had also wanted the part of Christine Daae. Honestly, she was not sure how to feel in this moment.

Luckily, Kirei was saved when she turned to find Miyu smiling at her. "Kirei-san, that's so great. You got the part! Congratulations!"

Kirei returned the smile, albeit hesitantly. "Thanks, Miyu-chan. But…you're not upset that I got the part you wanted?"

"No," Miyu answered, looking surprised at the conclusion Kirei had drawn. "Rather, I'm relieved. To tell you the truth, I've been panicking the past two days. I didn't really want the lead role, but somehow, I ended up auditioning for it. I was really scared that I would actually get it…but if I had stayed long enough to hear you sing, Kirei-san, I would have know that there was nothing to worry about. You deserve the lead part."

Kirei felt herself blushing. Never before had she been praised so highly by another girl. It was a great feeling to finally have a female friend she could relate to.

"Hmph. So Awayuki-_sama_ got the lead role? Figures," Kirei registered her name in the conversation of a couple of girls nearby. Her head turned automatically, and she saw two girls from her homeroom gossiping a ways away.

"She's always been the chorus teacher's favorite…I wonder how much it cost her to get the lead role?" the other girl mumbled, mirroring her friend's sour look. Miyu could hear them as well, and she frowned. She had not known Kirei for very long, but Miyu was almost certain that Kirei was not that kind of person. Kirei was a very straightforward person, and preferred to do things her own way…

…A fact she continued to prove by marching right over to those girls as Miyu watched, wide-eyed. Kirei was not going to start a fight with them, was she?

"Excuse me," Kirei said loudly right behind the girls, and they jumped. Their faces paled a little when they saw Kirei, but the bolder of the two girls put on the best poker face she could muster.

"Can we help you, Awayuki-_sama_?" she asked, mocking Kirei with the sarcasm used in her name. Rather than being angry, however, Kirei's expression was one of boredom.

"Look, I get how you would be jealous of my amazing singing voice and everything," she said in monotone, pissing off the two girls, "but really, gossiping behind my back isn't going to make you any better. It just makes you look stupid and petty. More stupid than petty, though, since you didn't even realize that I could hear you. So the next time you wanna talk about me behind my back, make sure I can't hear you so I can't call you out on it and publically embarrass you, mmkay?"

Their faces red and expressions enraged, the two girls fled around the corner, huffing angrily and tossing their hair as they stomped off. Kirei sighed, rolled her eyes, and returned to where Miyu was standing, still wide-eyed.

"…What's the matter?" Kirei ventured to ask, tilting her head to the side as she observed Miyu.

Finally, Miyu had the sense to blink. "Ah…that was…" Miyu caught herself before she said 'so cool'. She did not want her new friend to think that Miyu harbored some sort of idol worship for her…even if it might be a little bit true. "Um, th-those girls were really mean…"

Kirei sighed and rolled her eyes again. "It's fine. I'm used to it," she replied, folding her arms defensively. But Miyu could see the tinge of loneliness in Kirei's eyes, and she decided to change the subject.

"So, I guess we'll have a lot of fun being in the play together, huh?" she said, a small but cheerful smile crossing her lips.

That caught Kirei's attention. "Huh? Together?" she echoed in surprise. Miyu's smile grew.

"You didn't notice, Kirei-san? I didn't get the lead, but I _am_ still in the play." To prove it, Miyu raised a slim finger to point at her name, listed next to the name "Meg Giry". Kirei's eyes lit up as she read this.

"Oh, that's so cool! You get to play my best friend in the play! …What a case of life imitating fiction, huh?" Kirei joked, elbowing Miyu in the ribs. This caused Miyu to squawk and jump away, her face pink.

"D-don't…" the smaller girl pleaded, "I'm ticklish…"

At this confession, a wicked gleam appeared in Kirei's chocolate brown eyes. "Oh you are, are you…" she said in a sinister voice, making Miyu nervous. That feeling grew as Kirei slowly approached Miyu, her hands arched and at the ready as she grinned deviously at Miyu.

"K-Kirei-san, what are you doing…? Wait—no! Stay back!"

"Too late! Mwa ha ha ha!"

"Ah! Aha ha ha! Pl-please stop! It hurts, ha ha ha!"

In an instant, Kirei's playful assault on her friend was cut short by a strong arm hooking around her waist and pulling her away from Miyu. Kirei was not used to being caught off-guard, and she was about to freak out and attack whoever it was that was literally strong-arming her. But then the person sighed, and somehow, Kirei immediately knew who it was.

"Jeez, ease up, would you?" Ren said, his expression disgruntled as he gazed down at the restrained Kirei, "I thought you were killing my sister for a minute there."

Said sister sat up from her position on the floor, brushing away tears of laughter from her cheeks. "Ah…hi, Ren-nii. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, what else?" Ren replied in a tone that suggested his answer should be common sense. "In fact, I could ask you the same—"

"Hey. Ren."

Ren was promptly distracted by Kirei, whom was frowning up at him. She jabbed a finger at the arm he still had around her waist.

"Let. Go." She commanded. Ren swiftly did as he was told, turning and coughing uncomfortably as Kirei fixed her uniform.

"Sorry," he mumbled, moving over to help his sister to her feet to avoid looking at Kirei.

"Whatever. Just don't do it again," Kirei replied tersely. Miyu accepted her brother's help, still a little confused by his and her friend's changed relationship. It was a relief that they were not at each other's throats anymore, of course, but this…it was still weird.

Miyu decided to change the subject. "Ren-nii, did you see? Kirei-san and I are in the musical," she told Ren, gesturing to the cast sheet on the bulletin board. Ren glanced at it before turning back to his sister with a slight frown.

"A musical? You?" he asked, confusion in his tone. Kirei, however, found Ren's tone insulting.

"What? Didn't you know your sister was musically-inclined?" she chastised Ren with a shake of her head. "Pay more attention to her. You might learn something."

Ren abandoned his poker face for an affronted expression. "Butt out," he growled, instinctively taking a step towards Kirei. In response, she stepped back in a casual-yet-defensive position. If he decided to come at her, she would be ready this time.

"Ren-nii, don't," Miyu pleaded, placing a hand on her brother's arm. He stayed under her touch; however, he did not stop glaring at Kirei.

"Don't act like you know everything just because you're friends with my sister. I've been by her side long before you even met her, so get off your high horse!"

Kirei scowled back, but without her usual heat. After all, even she could admit when she was wrong. She just had difficulty voicing it most of the time.

"…Fair point," she forced herself to say, surprising the Yamashita siblings. "But still, I don't know why you'd be so surprised that your sister is in the musical. Her voice is amazing."

Miyu's face grew bright pink, and she ducked her head, amusing Kirei. Ren's eyes softened at the praise for his sister.

"…I know that," he grunted, folding his arms. "It's kind of a family trait…"

Kirei rose her eyebrows in curiosity, but Ren was no longer looking at her. His head was turned to the side, and his eyes were far away. When Kirei looked to Miyu, she was surprised to find that Miyu's eyes were downcast with that sad expression she wore at times. Kirei frowned. Just what was it with those two and the subject of 'family'?

"Yo! Kirei!"

'_Oh crap, Hanabi!_' Kirei silently cursed as the energetic Knight of Fire came barreling down the hall towards her. '_If Ren sees him…!_'

"Hanabi, slow down!" Kirei commanded, running towards the green-haired teen. She knew she was risking a collision with Hanabi, but Hanabi running into her would hurt a lot less than Ren getting his hands on Hanabi once again…

Hanabi forced himself to skid to a halt once he realized Kirei was running towards him. He gave her an odd look as she slowed her pace and met up with him in the middle. "What the heck…you tell _me_ to slow down, but then start running too? Talk about a hypocrite."

Kirei rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Hanabi?" she asked, reminding him to get to the point. Hanabi's ruby orbs widened.

"Oh yeah, I was supposed to come find you for Phoenix and Heisei! You'd better get going! Tanaka's already here, and Heisei's threatening to leave you behind if you don't get a move on! Now I gotta go. Bye!" And with that, Hanabi took off once more.

Kirei wiped off the sweatdrop rolling down her cheek with a handkerchief. "…That's it? You were coming at me like a bullet train just to tell me that…? And Heisei has his own limo! What does he mean, "I'll leave you behind"? Jerk…"

"Um…Kirei-san…?"

Kirei turned around to find the Yamashita siblings staring at her, Miyu with concern, but Ren with a "Why-Are-You-Talking-To-Yourself-You-Nut-Job?" look. Kirei let out a puff of air, her bangs fluttering from the action.

"I have to go home now. Oh, Miyu-chan! Rehearsals are after-school tomorrow! Don't be late, okay?"

"Yes. Bye, Kirei-san," Miyu bade her friend goodbye as Kirei rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. With a small smile, Miyu turned to find her brother reading the cast list.

"Kirei Awayuki as Christine Daae…figures that loud-mouth would get the lead role," he muttered as Miyu approached his side.

"Be nice, Ren-nii. Kirei-san's my friend, remember?"

"Hmph."

Ren gazed over at his sister, whom he dwarfed by a foot. "So…you're really going through with this?"

Miyu looked up at her brother for a silent moment before she nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna do it."

Ren quirked a brow at the determined note in Miyu's voice. Was Kirei already rubbing off on his sister? The thought of Miyu being a little more outgoing was not a bad thing, but…

In the end, Ren shrugged. If Miyu really wanted to do this, he was not going to tell her she could not. It was not like he could shelter her from the world forever… At this realization, for some reason, Ren began to feel a little lonely. He turned his back on the casting sheet with a sigh.

"Well, whatever then. I work right after school anyway, so I guess you getting into an after-school program is good, too. C'mon, let's go home."

Ren only took a couple steps before Miyu called him back. "Ah, Ren-nii! Hold on!"

Ren turned back around to find Miyu still standing in front of the bulletin board, her expression desperate. This alarmed him.

"What? What's wrong?" he wanted to know, striding back to his sister and grasping her by the shoulders. To his trained eyes, his sister did not look hurt…but then again, not all pain was physical… "What's the matter?"

"Oh…sorry," Miyu apologized with a guilty expression. "I didn't mean to scare you. Nothing's wrong. It's just…I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Ren sighed again, dropping Miyu's shoulders. "That's all? Just ask me already."

Miyu shuffled her feet a bit, her face red. Ren watched her with worry, exasperation, and curiosity. What did she want to ask him that was so embarrassing for her? For a minute, Ren's imagination got the better of him, and he pictured Miyu telling him she already had a boyfriend…

Ren shook his head sharply. No. He did not think he was quite ready for that news yet…

"Well…" Miyu finally spoke up, and Ren brought himself out of his tormenting thoughts to focus on his sister once more. "The auditions were the first time I've sung in a while…I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but I've gotten a little rusty. So I was wondering…if you would coach me for a bit? Please, Ren-nii?" Miyu finally asked, turning her pleading hazel eyes on her brother.

Ren stared at Miyu. Was she…serious? _This_ was what she wanted to ask him?

"_No."_ The answer was on the tip of Ren's tongue, but for some reason, he could not bring himself to say it. Maybe it was the way Miyu stared at him, anxious and entreating. It took most of her courage just to ask him of this favor. What kind of brother would he be if he denied her after she worked so hard to speak her mind…?

Ren sighed once again, this time a lot heavier. "…Fine," he conceded at last, and Miyu's eyes lit up in happiness. "But I'm only going to do this for you _once_, Miyu. After this, that's it, alright?"

"Thank you so much, Ren-nii!" Miyu cheered, hugging her brother tightly. Ren patted his sister's head, a little embarrassed but happy at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, let's get this over with. Let's go into this classroom here. If you quit on me mid-way, I'm gonna be angry, understand?"

"Yeah…but, Ren-nii, what about work?"

"I'm allowed a day off once a week if I call ahead. Don't worry about it. Just give this refresher your all, alright?"

"Yes!"

* * *

"Huh? Kirei, where are you going?" Phoenix wanted to know when his cousin began walking the opposite direction of the school's exit. She shot him a quizzical look over her shoulder.

"What do you mean, where am I going? To rehearsal, where else?"

"Rehearsal?"

"For the musical! Don't you remember? I told you at lunch that my rehearsals start today, so I couldn't go home with you for a while."

"You did?" Phoenix asked in surprise. "I don't remember that…"

Kirei sighed in exasperation. "I should remember not to tell you anything important when they serve pork cutlets in the cafeteria. You're oblivious to the world when you're eating your favorite food."

Phoenix sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head while laughing nervously. "Sorry about that…wait, so does that mean Tanaka isn't coming to pick us up?"

Kirei blinked. "Oh…I did tell my parents that I would be coming home late, so they might have told him not to come right after school…sorry, Phoenix."

Phoenix shrugged. "That's not a problem. I can always catch a ride with Heisei—"

"Nope, no can do," Heisei rebutted, suddenly appearing behind Kirei and making her jump. "I'm assistant director for the musical, so I need to be at all the rehearsals as well," the Knight of Sound explained further, once he had successfully dodged and/or blocked all the punches and kicks Kirei had aimed at him for scaring her.

"…Oh," Phoenix replied, attempting to hide his downcast look…and failing. "I see. So we won't be able to go home together for a while…"

Guilt stabbed at Kirei's heart. She had not realized going home together meant so much to her cousin. Without a word, she walked over and gave Phoenix a big hug.

"Wha—Kirei, what are you doing?" Phoenix yelped, his face bright red. Kirei let go and gave Phoenix a bright smile.

"Encouraging you. Cheer up, okay? You and Heisei can come over to my place tonight so we can finally watch _The Phantom of the Opera_. So come over when we're done with rehearsal, 'kay?"

"…" Phoenix gave his cousin an appreciative half-smile. "Yeah, okay. I'll see you two later. Good luck."

"It's 'break a leg'," Heisei corrected his friend. Phoenix, for his part, gave Heisei a blank look.

"…Why would I tell you to break a leg?" he wondered. Kirei shrugged.

"I dunno, it's a weird theatre thing. Anyway, we gotta go. See you later!" Kirei turned and jogged down the hallway, grabbing Heisei's arm along the way and dragging him behind her as they left for rehearsal. Phoenix waved at their backs until they were out of sight, and then lowered his hand, chuckling under his breath. He should not be so sensitive. After all, he, Kirei, and Heisei could not spend all of their time together. They would wind up killing each other.

With his hands in his pockets, Phoenix turned on his heel to head out and walk home—but before he could even approach the school's exit, he ran into someone.

"Umph!" he grunted, falling on his backside because he could not pull his hands out of his pockets fast enough to catch himself. "Ouch…"

"Oh…I-I'm sorry…"

When Phoenix looked up, he was surprised to find Miyu there, also thrown back from the collision. Instantly, he panicked.

"Oh no, Miyu-chan! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Phoenix apologized frantically, scrambling to his feet to help Miyu up, all the while glancing around, expecting Ren to come out any minute and kill him for running into his sister.

Miyu accepted his offered hand, and he helped her get to her feet. It was then that he registered that she was giving him a peculiar look.

"What's wrong, Miyu-chan?" He asked, letting go of her hand now that she was on her feet. At the sound of her name, Miyu's head tilted to the side.

"'Miyu-chan'?" she quoted in confusion. It took Phoenix a moment before he realized what the problem was.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry, Yamashita-san!" He gasped, frantically apologizing once again. "I didn't mean to be rude! I-I think I called you 'Miyu-chan' because Kirei calls you that all the time when she talks about you…really, I didn't do it on purpose! I promise!"

Phoenix's apologies died in his throat when Miyu began giggling at him.

"It's okay, Hiwatari-san," she assured him with a small smile, "I don't mind if you call me by my first name. It just surprised me because it felt so sudden. But really, it's all right. You don't have to apologize so much, hee hee."

"…" Phoenix felt himself blushing. He had not realized how cute Miyu was until she smiled at him. It was quite disarming. Giving himself a mental shake, Phoenix forced himself to focus. "Um, okay. I'll call you Miyu-san from now on…if that's okay?"

Miyu gave him an affirming nod. "Sure. Can I call you Phoenix-san?"

"Why not? It's only fair, right?" Phoenix replied with a grin, earning another smile from Miyu. Suddenly self-conscious again, Phoenix glanced around again, looking for Miyu's older brother. "Hey, where's Ren-san? Why aren't you with him?"

At this, Miyu's expression saddened. Phoenix immediately felt bad for making her look that way. Did the Yamashita siblings have a fight that he was not aware of? And he had been rude enough to bring Ren up…

"I don't know where he is," Miyu admitted. "I think he must've gone home already."

"What? No way!" Phoenix denied. "He wouldn't have gone home without you!"

Miyu blinked in surprise at this reaction. "No, not normally…but he has a job to do after school. And since I have rehearsals after school now, it's only natural for him to—"

"Wait a second," Phoenix interrupted, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "'rehearsal'? Are you in the musical too?"

"Oh…yes, I am," Miyu confirmed with a shy smile. "I play Meg Giry, Christine Daae's best friend. So I'll be acting with Kirei-san."

"Oh. That's cool! I didn't know you could sing, Miyu-san."

Miyu blushed and ducked her head. "W-well, that's because I don't do it often…"

Phoenix chuckled at her reaction. "Don't be embarrassed. You must be good if you got into the play. The chorus teacher is very picky about who she chooses to sing important roles, after all."

His words only caused Miyu to blush further. "I-it's not a very important role…"

"Even so, you wouldn't be in the play at all if you couldn't sing well. So good job," Phoenix complimented. By now, Miyu's face resembled a tomato, and she hid behind her hands and said nothing more. Though he still found her cute, Phoenix began to feel a little guilty for teasing Miyu. "But anyway, shouldn't you be going? Your rehearsal will start soon, won't it?"

The color drained from Miyu's face as Phoenix brought this fact to her attention. "Oh, you're right! I have to go! G-goodbye, Phoenix-san!"

"Break a leg! …But not literally!" he called after Miyu's retreating form. Still chuckling to himself, Phoenix turned to the exit to head home at last, before any more distractions were flung his way.

* * *

"Welcome, everyone, to the first rehearsal for _The Phantom of the Opera_!" Ms. Utani cheered through a paper microphone, her aura in flames as she tried to get the cast pumped. Most of them just stared like she was a creature from another planet. This did not seem to deter her, however.

"This play is going to be _so_ great!" the chorus teacher continued to gush. "As some of you noticed yesterday, the cast sheet I posted was incomplete, since I was still trying to make up my mind on who the all-important role of the Phantom should go to!"

'_Wah, really? I didn't notice that at all…_' Kirei realized with some surprise. '_I didn't even bother to read the rest of the casting sheet…I wonder if Kaneiro-san got the role he wanted?_'

"However!" Ms. Utani cried, shocking Kirei out of her thoughts and back to reality. "Just yesterday afternoon, as I was still trying to decide, I heard the most amazing baritone I had ever heard! It was like a gift from the heavens! I was almost moved to tears!" With a dramatic sigh, Ms. Utani struck a pose to match. The cast and technical operators all sweatdropped as one.

'_Oh boy…Utani-sensei's enjoying this a little too much…_' Kirei thought to herself, covering her mouth to hide her smirk of amusement.

"Therefore!" Ms. Utani shouted again, "everyone, please join me in giving a very warm welcome to our new Phantom, Mr. Ren Yamashita!"

As a collective applause began, Kirei stood there, stunned. Had Ms. Utani really just said what she thought she said? No, it could not be. It was not possible—

Just then, Ren stepped out from backstage—or was shoved by a tech operator, it appeared—his cheeks aflame and his expression awkward.

'…_WHAT!_' Kirei's thoughts shrieked in disbelief. It was not until Kirei registered the fact that everyone was now staring at her that she realized she had screamed aloud.

"Is there a problem, Kirei-chan?" Ms. Utani asked, her expression curious rather than annoyed…the direct contrast to the look Ren was currently giving Kirei. But, of course, it would take a lot more than dirty looks to cause Kirei to back down.

"Uh…Sensei, forgive me, but…are you _sure_ it was him you heard? Maybe you heard someone else and just thought it was Ren?" Kirei suggested. It was only when Ms. Utani's expression became uncharacteristically serious that Kirei realized she had made a grave mistake.

"Kirei-chan," the chorus teacher addressed Kirei, the usual sing-song tone in her voice missing, "are you possibly suggesting that I do not know a talent when I hear one?"

Kirei sensed that doom was approaching, and she began to backpedal at lightning speed. "Sensei, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant—"

"For your information, Kirei-chan," Ms. Utani cut her off briskly, "I know for a fact that this young man is an excellent singer. I came across him yesterday helping his sister prepare for today, and asked him to be our Phantom on the spot!"

'_Eh? He was helping Miyu-chan?_' Kirei turned to glance at Miyu out of the corner of her eye. Miyu was the last to arrive today, and had already received a warning from Ms. Utani to not come to rehearsals late again. She stayed there in the back of the queue, only shooting a small smile to Kirei when she looked her way. But now, Miyu avoided everyone's gaze, staring down at her shoes with an uncomfortable expression on her face. Strangely, the small girl looked guilty to Kirei, as if her brother being her was all her fault. '_…Hm. Maybe she feels it was her fault, in a way…_'

"In any case!" Ms. Utani continued, regaining Kirei's attention. "Since I am the chorus teacher, I am in charge of casting, and whoever I cast is who will be whom! Isn't that right, Pakutesu-sensei?"

"Whatever," replied Ms. Pakutesu, the apathetic theatre teacher who did not care for much besides whether her coffee mug was full or not. Kirei strongly suspected that the musical had been Ms. Utani's idea from the start, and that she had just roped Ms. Pakutesu into it.

"Exactly!" Ms. Utani cried, as if Ms. Pakutesu's uncaring response just confirmed everything the chorus teacher had been saying this whole time. "Therefore, Kirei-chan, if you have a problem with my casting, you're just going to have to deal, or give up your role to someone who thinks my casting is brilliant! Understand?"

"Y-yes, Utani-sensei…" Kirei replied meekly. Never before had she been chewed out by Ms. Utani, though she had seen it happen to a bunch of other kids. It was a very scary experience, one that was not often repeated…if the offender was smart.

Abruptly, Ms. Utani was all smiles again. "Good! Now then, to kick off our first rehearsal, I would like to test the compatibility of all the main characters! Kirei-chan, you and Ren-kun are first!"

'_Oh, great._' Kirei's thoughts grumbled, moving to center stage along with Ren. '_Seriously, THIS guy? Is the universe working against me?_'

Ren was still frowning at Kirei as she approached, and she rose her eyebrows at him. What was he so disgruntled about? But before she could voice her thoughts, Ms. Utani was talking to them again.

"Now, let's see…we need a song for you both to sing together that will properly illustrate the dynamic you should have with each other…ah! I've got it! Heisei-kun! Play "The Phantom of the Opera!" Ms. Utani called over her shoulder, and Kirei sighed in relief.

'_Thank God. This isn't an intimate song…if Utani-sensei had requested "Music of the Night" or "The Point of No Return", I would have died._'

As the orchestra notes began to blare from the boom box, Kirei tossed her hair proudly and glanced at Ren over her shoulder.

"Try and keep up, okay?" She advised haughtily. Ren just glared at her. This did not faze Kirei, though—she had a secret theory that Ren was born with a permanent scowl on his face. Lightly clearing her throat, when the time was right, Kirei began to sing.

"_In sleep, he sang to me._

_In dreams, he came._

_That voice which calls to me,_

_And speaks my name._

_And do I dream again?_

_For now, I find…_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside my mind._"

In the notes that followed, Kirei turned to smirk at Ren, daring him with her eyes to do better. A muscle was working in his jaw, and for a moment, it looked like he would stalk off the stage and refuse to perform. But when it came close to his turn to sing, Ren merely sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, a sign of concession. With a look of superiority and mild curiosity, Kirei watched as Ren opened his mouth…

"**_Sing once again with me,_**

**_Our strange duet…_**"

Kirei's mouth came open with a pop. No way. No. Way. That could not be him…could it?

"**_My power over you…_**" Ren continued to sing, approaching Kirei and lifting her chin with a finger to meet his eyes.

"**_Grows stronger yet._**

**_And though you turn from me,_**

**_To glance behind…_**"

Kirei knew she should be playing along, should be turning around as Christine would when, in her moment of uncertainty in the song, she glances back the way they had come, as if she was pondering whether or not to return to the world she knows. But Kirei could not look away. Her eyes were glued to the boy—no, to the man before her, his voice so irresistible as he sang that she felt her knees would give out any moment. This was way too surreal.

"**_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_**

**_Inside your mind._**"

Ren moved his finger from Kirei's chin so he could gesture to her to follow him. And Kirei obeyed, as if she were in a trance. They circled one another, almost like a dance, forgetting the world around them as their duet continued.

"_Those who have seen your face_

_Draw back in fear._

_I am the mask you wear…_

_**It's me they hear…**_

_Your spirit and my voice,_

_**My spirit and your voice,**_

**In one, combine…**

**The Phantom of the Opera is there,**

_Inside my mind._

_**Inside your mind.**_"

The melody from the boom box stopped. Abruptly, Kirei came back to herself, registering the clapping around her as the cast and technical operators applauded her and Ren's performance. She gave her head an experimental shake, and when her gaze returned to Ren, it was to find him smirking at her. They were close enough to each other that Ren could lean over and whisper in Kirei's ear without too much effort.

"What was it you were saying earlier about me keeping up?" He asked, and then brushed past before Kirei could reply. She turned to glare daggers at his back.

'_Damn you, Ren Yamashita! I was just caught up in my surprise, that's all! It had nothing to do with you!_' Kirei ranted at him in her mind, a sour taste in her mouth because she was forced to eat her own words.

But…wow…Ren had a nice set of pipes on him. Who knew?

'_I…guess that's what he meant by it being a family trait…_' Kirei realized, recalling the conversation she had with the Yamashita siblings just yesterday. If that was what Ren meant, then it certainly explained a lot…

"Good, very good!" Ms. Utani cheered, earning Kirei's attention once more. "Wonderful, Kirei-chan and Ren-kun! You make a very good pairing already! I just know you'll make this musical great!"

"Uh…thanks, Utani-sensei…" Kirei thanked the chorus teacher, albeit a tad hesitantly. She was not sure how to feel about the teacher thinking her and Ren "made a good pair already".

"Okay, next up is Miyu-chan with Kirei-chan as Meg Giry and Christine Daae, best friends forever! Miyu-chan, if you would?" Ms. Utani beckoned the small girl.

"C-coming!" Miyu replied as people moved aside so she could come to center stage. However, one person did not move fast enough, and Miyu, in her haste, ended up tripping over his foot and went tumbling to the floor.

"Miyu!" Ren cried, pushing past people to get to his sister. However, Kirei got there first.

"Miyu-chan! Are you all right?" Kirei asked, kneeling in front of her fallen friend. Miyu sighed and smiled sheepishly up at Kirei.

"I'm okay…" she replied, pushing herself up to a sitting position and waving off the apologies of the owner of the foot she tripped over. Kirei shooed him off as well before getting to her feet and offering her hand to Miyu.

"Going up?" she joked, making Miyu laugh. The smaller girl placed her hand within Kirei's and allowed Kirei to hoist up to her feet with a murmur of thanks afterwards.

Now, neither girl realized this, but Heisei had been watching the whole time, and his violet eyes did not miss the small burst of colorful lights that occurred when Miyu's right hand met Kirei's. Nothing happened past that, however, and the girls were about to let go of each other without further incident.

Heisei removed his glasses for a moment to chew on the end of them thoughtfully, a habit he only displayed when he was thinking very hard about something.

"Interesting…" he muttered to himself. He knew that this new development would require further study on his part, since he had been the only one who had noticed…but for now, he would have to file this study away for later. Right now, Heisei had a musical to help direct.

* * *

**A/N****: Oh. My. Gorgonzolas. I just LOVE it when a new plot development occurs!**

**Hiro: (Rolls eyes) Why are you so excited? You always know what's going to happen.**

**MuraSakura: Yeah, but it's no fun if I'm the only one who knows! I like to reveal my knowledge when the time is right and share it with the world!**

**Hiro: I don't think the world is ready for your brand of "knowledge".**

**MuraSakura: Quiet, emo.**

**Hiro: I AM NOT—**

**MuraSakura: Cool story, bro! (Hiro goes to sulk somewhere else) By the way, I've hidden all the sharp objects in the house! Anyway, not much to say here…oh! Inside joke for you guys: you know the theatre teacher that I randomly introduced this chapter? Pakutesu-sensei? Yeah, I made that name up because it's actually an English word said with a Japanese accent (which would be written with katakana, in case you guys didn't know). Anyway, I was always planning for the theatre teacher to show up…some time…but I knew said teacher would not be very important to the play, even though it is the theatre teacher. This is Utani-sensei's baby, all the way, LOL. So I was trying to figure out how to introduce the theatre teacher without drawing too much attention to her/him, because he/she isn't really important. But then an idea came to me that allowed me to have fun with the role of the theatre teacher in my own secret way. Does anyone know the DeviantArt artist by the name of Pacthesis? (If you don't, go look her up RIGHT NOW. I COMMAND THEE!) Her art is so hilarious it should be illegal, so I kind of just "borrowed" the name "Pacthesis" and made her the theatre teacher! If you are familiar with Pacthesis' work, the joke of the theatre teacher will be that much more obvious. Hee hee hee.**

**Anyway, this is the end of Chapter Five! Things can only get more interesting from here. Mwahahahaha! Hopefully it won't take me forever and a day to update next time, though. So, as always, thank you for reading, and please review! Ja-ne!**

**-MuraSakura**


	6. Chapter 6: Unbelievable

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: Heya! Yeah, it's been a while…again. Oh well, busy with life and stuff. You understand. And, as I am writing this, it is now very early in the morning. And I want to go to bed soon, so there will be no rambling Author's Note for this chapter.**

**Kirei: Aww!**

**MuraSakura: Next time, kiddo. Anyway, disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs. Credit for the concept of Pretear goes to Kaori Naruse and Junichi Satou. Have fun reading!**

**Chapter Six: Unbelievable**

Kirei's eyes flew open.

It was still night outside—the moonlight streaming through her sheer curtains attested to that. She sat up slowly, brushing hair from her face as she stared out her window. It was strange for her to awake so abruptly for no reason. Usually it was nightmares that scared her out of a peaceful slumber…but as Kirei thought about it, she was sure she did not have one. There was no accelerated heart rate, no sweat on her brow, no heavy breathing…so everything was fine.

But even so, why did Kirei feel so…wrong?

Kirei shook her head. She was being silly. All she needed was a glass of water, and then she would fall back asleep in no time. But as the Knight of Wind reached over for the pitcher next to her bed, the feeling of wrongness struck her again, this time stronger than before. Her hand missed the handle, and she nearly knocked over the pitcher of water.

'_What IS that?_' Kirei wanted to know, pushing free of her sheets to get out of her bed. The horrid feeling grew even stronger as she stood, and before she knew it, she was being pulled forward, to her balcony.

The cool air of the night breezed past her as she opened the doors, offering comfort. But Kirei was distracted, the feeling of wrongness stronger than ever as she stood out on her balcony. The air was so strange out here, and it made Kirei shiver with unease.

'_Something's going on,_' she realized. A second later, she had transformed into her Knight of Wind uniform. Leaping onto the balcony rail, she used that to push off into the sky. The air tasted foul here, and it made Kirei's nose wrinkle. She had never experienced anything like this before…what was happening?

As Kirei flew over the wooded area of Awayuki Gardens, a pillar of smoke caught her attention. Panic had her flying faster, towards that pillar of smoke. Why was there a fire in the Gardens in the middle of the night?

When the treetops grew too thick for her to fly anymore, Kirei touched down on a tree limb, jumping from tree to tree as the acrid smell of smoke became overwhelming. She heard the "pets" of the jungle fleeing from the threat, their cries tearing at her heart. She pushed herself to go faster, nearly flying again as she leapt from tree branch to tree branch.

Suddenly, there came a clearing in her view. She jerked to a stop, almost slipping from a tree branch before she regained her footing. There was a fire all right—a large, roaring fire, consuming a pile of wood in the middle of the clearing and sending up dark smoke to the heavens. Kirei put up a hand to guard her mouth and nose, her eyes burning. Through the smoke, she could just make out a dark figure in front of it, just standing there, as if transfixed by the flames.

'_He must have started the fire!_' Kirei realized with a jolt. Anger began to course through her, as hot as the flames of the fire, and she leapt down from her hiding place to confront the alleged pyromaniac.

"Hey!" she shouted. Slowly, the figure turned around. Kirei could not see his face—he stood right in front of the fire, so his features were thrown into deep shadow—but by the build of his silhouette, she was certain he was a man. "How dare you set fire to this place! Who do you think you are?"

The figure said nothing. He just stood there, regarding Kirei in silence. Not knowing what to expect, Kirei slumped back in a defensive position, just in case he decided to attack.

"I know you hear me! Leave this place right now, or I'll make you!" she threatened, her hands positioned and at the ready to knock this guy back with all the wind power she had.

A quiet chuckle was heard, and at last, the figure spoke.

"_**Air only makes fire grow stronger. Are you not aware of this, Leafe Knight?**_"

Kirei paused. While his mocking made her angry, she was more preoccupied with the thought of this stranger having knowledge of what she was. Who was this man?

"_**No need to worry, Leafe Knight. I am not here to harm you…for now.**_"

"Is that a threat?" Kirei challenged, sounding braver than she felt.

"_**It is a warning. As long as you do not interfere with my plans, you will have nothing to worry about.**_"

"…Who are you?" Kirei demanded to know, squinting to see the face of this mysterious man, but to no avail.

The stranger fell silent again. Kirei was on pins and needles, but she did nothing—diving headfirst into the unknown was always scary, and often stupid. Her patience was rewarded after a few tense seconds—though not in a way she liked. Abruptly, the figure disappeared. Kirei did not even have time to regret his escape, because he was suddenly right in front of her. Caught off guard, Kirei yelped and stumbled backwards. She tripped over a fallen branch, and was about to crash to the ground when the stranger made a sudden movement. Kirei's arm was grabbed, and she was righted again. But she felt no relief. Instead, there was panic at the display of vulnerability on her part, revulsion at the stranger's touch—his skin was so _cold_—and overwhelming curiosity. Kirei swallowed all of these feelings and stared boldly into the dark shadows, where she imagined the stranger's eyes were. She kept her body slack, just so he would not expect it when she lashed out and escaped from his grip.

"Who are you?" she asked again, her voice lower now that he was uncomfortably close to her. Again, the figure said nothing. Instead, he leaned in, and a feel of skin brushed her cheek. Kirei was frozen in horror.

Did…did he just…?

"_**It does not matter who I am,**_" he whispered in her ear, "_**Just know that I love you.**_"

A cold chill ran down Kirei's spine. All her anger drained away, to be replaced by sheer terror. She had never been afraid of strangers before—she was trained well, and could take on anyone that dared to try and harm her. But with this stranger—with this man—Kirei felt no fearlessness. She only felt the overwhelming desire to scream until her voice gave out.

And then, yet again, the figure disappeared. Half a second later, a violet ray beam crashed into the ground where the figure was standing. Kirei looked up to find the rest of the Leafe Knights flying towards her, with Heisei in the lead. Feeling relieved, afraid, and angry all at the same time, Kirei's knees gave out, and she sank to the ground.

"Kirei! Are you all right?" Heisei demanded to know, kneeling in front of the Knight of Wind and gripping her shoulders. When she did not answer right away, he began to shake her. "Kirei, answer me!"

"Cut it out, Heisei! She's in shock!" Akaru reprimanded the Knight of Wind, lighting his pointer finger to shine into Kirei's eyes. "Her pupils are dilated—give her room to breathe!"

"Me and Tsurara and Taki will go put out the fire!" Hanabi volunteered, herding the Knight of Ice and the Knight of Water towards the large fire.

"Kirei-nee!" Tochi cried, flinging himself into Kirei's lap. "Please be all right, Kirei-nee!"

Slowly, amidst the chaos, Kirei came back to herself. She blinked a few times, and registered the relief that came over the faces of Heisei, Akaru, and Tochi.

"Are you all right?" Heisei asked again, his violet eyes boring into her chocolate irises. Kirei blinked again, and finally focused on Heisei.

"I'm fine," she replied, satisfied that her voice sounded normal—even a little irritated. She shrugged out of Heisei's grip and got to her feet, complying to hold Tochi in her arms, since he had a death grip around her neck.

Akaru brought his makeshift pen light closer. "You have a bruise on your cheek. Did that guy hurt you?"

Kirei blinked in confusion. She shifted her grip on Tochi and experimentally poked her cheek, surprised to find that it stung a little.

"I…don't think he hurt me…"she answered, the words coming slowly as she thought it over. Her body involuntarily shivered. "But…he did kiss me…I think."

"WHAT?" Heisei growled, suddenly angry for reasons Kirei could not fathom. The Knight of Sound abruptly took off into the sky and flew off, and Kirei guessed that he was going to search for the stranger that had accosted her.

"Let's go beat him up, Kirei-nee!" Tochi declared, pouting. Despite how shaken she felt, Kirei was able to giggle at Tochi's response.

"I appreciate your guts, kid," she told him, ruffling his golden locks, "but I don't know where he went. I don't even know who he _was_…"

'_And that's the scariest part of all…_' Kirei finished in her mind. She touched her cheek once more, a shiver running through her again. Whoever that man was, he was dangerous. That much Kirei was certain of.

"The fire's out," Tsurara announced as he, Hanabi, and Taki approached. "The strange thing is that the cause wasn't natural—"

"—and we don't mean in the man-made unnatural way," Hanabi interrupted, "this fire wasn't natural fire at all."

Taki stuck out his hand, where a charred item lay in his palm. "We found this at the base of the fire. Any idea what it could be? Because we're stumped."

Kirei leaned over, Tochi still in her arms, to inspect the item. It was burnt beyond recognition, but if she had to guess, she would say that it might have been some sort of cloth at some point. But beyond that, she could not distinguish anything else that might identify the item.

"Don't touch it, Tochi," Kirei warned the Knight of Plants, whom had had his hand outstretched to take the item from Taki. "Akaru, your dad is a scientist, right? Do you think he could figure out what this was?"

"He's not that kind of scientist," Akaru replied with a frown, "but he might have a colleague who can help us out."

"Then take it to him when you get home, please," Kirei asked, taking the item from Taki to hand it over to Akaru. For a moment, a trace of negative emotions coursed through her. Startled, she dropped the item, and Akaru had to stoop to pick it up.

"You okay?" Hanabi wanted to know, peering at Kirei with concern. However, this annoyed the Knight of Wind.

"I'm _fine_, alright?" Kirei huffed, putting Tochi down on the ground to free up her arms—she felt like she might punch someone. "All of you stop asking already. Kami. What you all SHOULD be doing is combing the grounds for any sign of that stranger. If he's still on the property, we can**not** let him get away! Since Heisei is searching from above already, I want everyone else to search on foot."

More comfortable now that she was in "Leader" mode, Kirei began to give instructions to all the Knights. "Akaru, you search west. Hanabi, you go north. Tsurara and Taki, both of you take the east. I'll take Tochi and go south. Let's move!"

Everyone dispersed according to Kirei's orders. She herself stooped over to scoop up Tochi, placing him on her back before she took off south. She kept her eyes open, scanning the scenery as it changed and warped according to the layout of the Awayuki Gardens. There was still a tight knot of unease in the pit of her stomach thanks to her encounter with the stranger, a part of that unease also contributed by the dark emotions radiating from whatever that burnt item was. But Kirei had a job to do right now. As the leader of the Leafe Knights, she had to stay strong for all of them. If she fell apart, they all would fall apart, like the base of a tower giving way and sending the whole thing toppling down. She had to be tough, for all of them.

But even so…

"Kirei-nee," Tochi spoke, his voice low and timid, "are you sure you're okay? You don't want to take a break?"

"I can't, Tochi," Kirei replied shortly, her breathing a little labored with the excitement of the night and her fast speed combined.

"…Daddy says you sometimes forget you're a girl," Tochi said, sounding as if he was not quite sure what his father meant. Kirei rolled her eyes.

"I'm quite aware of my gender, thank you," she huffed, the attitude actually meant for Tochi's father, Shinta. "And if he means that I should be aware of my limits, I know those too. But just because I'm a girl does NOT make me weaker than all of you. I'm a Leafe Knight too!"

Tochi fell silent, as if he was mulling over Kirei's words. A minute later, he asked, "Are you strong just because you're a Leafe Knight, Kirei-nee?"

At this, Kirei slowed until she was at a complete stop. She turned to look Tochi in the eye, his emerald eyes wide and wondering. He was a child, and yet, his question was so insightful. Maybe the innocence of children was what allowed them to see the truth more easily than most adults.

"…I am strong because of who I am, Tochi," Kirei finally answered him with a smile. "No matter who they are or whether they're a boy or a girl, everyone has strength they draw from somewhere. Never forget that, Tochi."

"Even me?" Tochi wanted to know, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Kirei giggled and ruffled his hair once more.

"Even you, kid. Now c'mon, we've gotta get moving again. We don't want the bad guy to get away now, do we?"

"Yeah, let's capture the bad guy!" Tochi cheered, all fired up. Kirei's resolve was renewed as well, and she took off once more, mentally daring any danger to come at her. She was ready for it.

* * *

Kirei drifted through her classes the next day in a dreamlike state. They had found no trace of the dark figure last night, and she did not sleep at all after that. She was exhausted, but too afraid to close her eyes. If she closed her eyes, all she would see is darkness, all she would feel is bitter cold, all she would hear is a sinister voice confessing his affection for her…

A nudge from behind made Kirei jump violently. She was in the lunch line now, and her tray only contained a pudding cup so far. Kirei did not like pudding, and she wondered for a brief moment how the pudding cup wound up on her tray before she turned back to see whom had bumped into her.

"You look like hell," Ren Yamashita greeted her, an eyebrow quirking as he looked her over. Kirei instinctually frowned.

"Hello to you too, Ren," she replied sarcastically, hastening to close the gap in the lunch line she was causing by just standing in one place. Ren followed suit.

"When did you go to bed last night? You have huge circles under your eyes," he persisted in his criticism of her appearance before he eyed her tray. "Or are you just not eating lately? Starving yourself isn't the answer, you know."

Kirei mustered the fiercest glare she could when she turned back to Ren. "Are you here just to antagonize me?" she hissed, unhappy. She was about to continue telling him to bug off when the strangest thing happened: Ren began putting food items onto her plate. "What are you doing?" she questioned in wonderment, staring at him as he placed a bowl of ramen, an apple, and peach juice onto her tray.

"You have to eat something," Ren asserted, nudging her down the line again. "And since you're too busy off in La La Land, I figured I'd be nice and help you out."

"I don't need your help, Ren," Kirei informed him. Her statement was without any heat, however; she was too tired to actually argue with him today. Ren's eyes narrowed as his gaze searched her face.

"You have a bruise on your cheek," he noted quietly. Kirei turned away from him, resenting the way he was looking at her. She remained silent as they paid for their food and left the lunch line, hoping he would drop the subject.

He did not. "Musika didn't do that to you, did he?"

"What do you care?" Kirei mumbled, not thinking about what her answer might imply…that is, until she saw the dark look that crossed Ren's features. "No, he did not hit me, okay?" She answered, setting down her tray at her usual lunch table. To her slight annoyance, Ren took a seat across from her. "Heisei has had a better upbringing than that."

"What about me?"

Kirei looked up to find Heisei and Phoenix standing there, their hands carrying lunch trays as well. Both the boys eyed Ren as they sat down, Phoenix in pleasant surprise and Heisei in blatant unwelcome. Ren ignored both these gazes and dug into his lunch.

"Ren thinks you hit me," Kirei informed Heisei, gesturing to the bruise on her cheek. Aside from the tightening at the corners of his eyes, Heisei appeared unabashed.

"Is that so? What would make you think that, Yamashita?" Heisei asked, his tone polite…mostly.

"I dunno," Ren replied, picking up the conversational tone Heisei was using. "I just think that guys who are control freaks sometimes do stupid things when they realize not everything around them can be manipulated."

By now, a muscle was jumping in Heisei's jaw. He and Ren never broke gazes, both attempting to stare the other down. Though Kirei was entertained by this, Phoenix was getting nervous. He really just wanted a day without conflict…was that really so much to ask?

"Um…so Ren-san, where's your sister?" Phoenix asked, trying to divert the conversation.

"Practicing her singing with the chorus teacher," Ren replied, his hazel gaze never leaving Heisei's violet orbs. "She said she needed the practice."

"Oh, right. You're in the play too, aren't you, Ren-san? I didn't know you were musically inclined," Phoenix said, the cheerfulness in his voice genuine.

"It runs in the family, apparently," Kirei said, quoting Ren from a few days ago. He threw a sharp gaze at her that she could not quite decipher before he looked away. "Speaking of the play, Heisei, do you have any idea who will be playing the role of Raoul de Changny? It's been a week and he has yet to show up to rehearsal."

A corner of Heisei's mouth turned down before he answered. "The role of Raoul de Changny is to be performed by Yuki Kaneiro."

"Oh, really?" Kirei blinked in surprise, recalling Yuki's wish to be the Phantom. Perhaps the role of the Viscount had been his second choice… "Where's he been, then?"

"I am not firm on the details," Heisei began, sounding bored, "but it appears that Kaneiro-san has been dealing with some family issues that have detained him from coming to practice."

Kirei's face went blank. "Oh…I hope everything's alright," she said, poking at her ramen with a fork. "It would be tragic if something were to—ouch!"

Without warning, Kirei's cheek began to throb. She poked it experimentally with a finger while Phoenix, Ren and Heisei stared at her.

"What's the matter?" Phoenix wanted to know, his crimson eyes marred with concern.

"It's nothing," Kirei replied, wincing. "My cheek just randomly started hurting, that's all. It's nothing I can't—and just what are you staring at?" she demanded to know, glowering at Ren for the look he was giving her.

It was an odd look indeed. His fork was frozen in mid-air, half way to his mouth as he stared at Kirei, his mouth open. He looked as if he were watching something grotesquely fascinating, and Kirei did not appreciate it one bit.

"Your bruise…" he breathed, eyebrows scrunched over his eyes, "it's…moving. It's growing."

"What are you talking about?" Kirei demanded to know, scowling at him. What was wrong with him? Was his eyesight that crazy? Did he actually need glasses that he refused to wear for some odd reason?

Kirei turned to Phoenix. "Is there really anything wrong with my bruise?"

Phoenix did not say anything at first. He just stared, concentrating. He was not quiet for long, however, and his eyes went wide as his mouth came open with a pop.

"It IS moving!" he proclaimed, leaning in closer to get a better look. "Freaky!"

Kirei had just about had it with all of them. "I'm going to the bathroom. I swear, if you all are screwing with me…" she let the threat trail off as she fled to the bathroom, feeling uneasy. Her cheek was throbbing faster now, with a sense of urgency, as if it were alive and had a heartbeat of its own.

The girl's bathroom was deserted, a rarity during the lunch hour. Kirei ignored the stalls and went straight to the sinks, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her bruise _had_ grown in size; upon closer inspection, Kirei realized with no small amount of horror that was also indeed moving, just like Ren and Phoenix had claimed. She stood rooted to the spot, awestruck as the throbbing in her cheek continued at a hurried pace, and as the darkness in her cheek warped and twisted until it became a definable shape…

Kirei stared. The bruise had darkened from a deep blue to a dark purple, and the throbbing had ceased. The shape on Kirei's cheek was, unmistakably, a butterfly.

Abruptly, Heisei stormed into the bathroom, ignoring Phoenix's protests that he was not allowed in the girl's bathroom. He strode over to Kirei and took her face in his hands, his eyes on hers.

"Kirei, stop screaming," he requested. Kirei shut her mouth, surprised at the fact that she had not realized she was making any noise at all. When she tried to speak, her voice was a breathless rasp.

"Heisei," she gasped, horror evident in her eyes, "Heisei, it's—"

"I know." Heisei's voice was grim, and his eyes flickered to the butterfly bruise on Kirei's cheek. He placed an arm around her shoulders and steered her out of the bathroom, where an anxious-looking Phoenix awaited. He took one at Kirei, and his eyes bugged out.

"What is _that_?" he questioned, trying not to stare…and failing miserably.

"It's a mark," Heisei explained, his tone bleak. "Come on, we have to get her home."

Phoenix fluttered around them anxiously as Heisei led Kirei out of the cafeteria, his expression concerned but confused. "I don't get it—what do you mean it's a mark? A mark of what?"

"Of our enemy."

It was Kirei who answered this time, a hollow note in her voice as she spoke. "The new Prince of Darkness has appeared."

* * *

"This makes no sense," Kato grumbled to himself as he paced in a set path around the room. "How did this happen?"

"Who can say?" Hiro answered with a question of his own, his arms crossed over his chest. "But that's not the problem here. The problem is that it seems our new enemy has targeted my daughter."

Kirei felt numb. She listened to the conversations of the second generation of Leafe Knights around her, but it was as if she was listening underwater: everything they said was muffled, and she could only just make out their tones. Right now, her father was angry.

"It's so strange how he left a mark on her," Satoshi mused, his eyes on Kirei's bruise. "You said he just kissed you, right Kirei-chan?"

Kirei took a minute to decipher Satoshi's underwater speech. She merely nodded. She also registered a noise of discontent coming from her father.

"Sick bastard," he growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Getting angry won't solve anything, Hiro," Sakura reminded him, though she too looked unhappy. "All we can do now is plan our next move before this new Prince of Darkness starts anything."

"Another Prince of Darkness…what are the odds…?" Gaki grumbled, frowning as he remembered incidents that occurred what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Exactly! This wasn't supposed to happen, but somehow, it did," Kato ranted, running a frustrated hand through his flaxen hair. "What could have been the catalyst this time?"

"How should we know?" Moki asked, his hands behind his head and his expression puzzled. "It could have been anything, really. What I wanna know is who had such power for us to have to relive this crap a _second_ time."

"Power…oh! I see!" Kato suddenly cried out, slamming his fist into his palm in his sudden enlightenment.

Everyone else gave him blank looks.

"…Care to share your knowledge with us, Kato?" Himura asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we'd like to know what's going on, too," Shinta agreed with a pout that rivaled the many former pouts of his younger years.

"Shut up, I'm thinking," Kato ordered, resuming his fevered pacing. The rest of the second generation of Leafe Knights, Sakura, and Kirei could only wait and watch as Kato paced, his brows knitted tightly together as he thought. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, he turned to the group, his eyes bright with knowledge.

"Just last night," he began, "my son gave me the burnt object Kirei discovered at the site where they first encountered this new Prince of Darkness. I had a friend in another department see if he could figure out what the object once was. He told me just this afternoon that it had once been a handkerchief, with the letters KHA embroidered on it in one corner."

There was a collective murmur around the room, as everyone attempted to place a name with the initials. But Kirei, having finally surfaced from underwater, knew immediately whom those initials belonged to.

"Kirei Himeno Awayuki," Kato explained after he had paused for dramatic effect. Everyone in the room froze, and turned as one to stare at Kirei. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Kirei," Kato continued, his gaze sharp as he spoke to her, "did you give your handkerchief to someone recently? If so, can you remember to whom?"

Kirei thought about this, her face screwed up in concentration. She could not, for the life of her, remember ever owning a handkerchief: such things were so old school and dainty. Not her style at all. And yet, something nagged at her in the back of her mind, something about a handkerchief…

"…I was seven at the time," Kirei said slowly, her eyes shut as she tried to remember, "I was playing with someone…he got hurt…so I gave him my handkerchief…"

"Can you remember who it was?" Kato pressed as everyone else watched, their breath bated. "Can you remember the name or the face of that little boy?"

Kirei squeezed her eyes shut and reached, searching for the memory. There was a big cherry blossom tree…she was running and playing when her playmate fell and scraped his knee…she remembered she had her handkerchief, so she tied it around his knee…when she finished, she looked up into his face and smiled…she looked up into his face…

Kirei heaved a deep sigh and opened her eyes. "I'm sorry. I can't remember who he was."

Kato nodded, though he did look disappointed.

"What was the point of that?" Hiro wanted to know, his frown becoming more defined. "What does it matter who she gave the handkerchief to?"

"Whoever it was," Kato cut across Hiro with an air of superiority, "developed quite a strong attachment to it. Perhaps too strong of an attachment…that old thing was oozing darkness when my son gave it to me."

"I'm still lost," Sakura admitted, biting her lower lip.

"In my studies over the years, I have come to realize that precious items—items that hold the highest of sentimental value for people—can hold dangerously high amounts of Leafe," Kato lectured as he resumed his pacing. "And, of course, you all are aware of what can happen to Leafe in the wrong hands. That kind of power can be destructive…"

Kato turned his gaze once more on the second generation of Leafe Knights, Sakura and Kirei, his jade irises glittering. "And it's this brand of power that I fear we may be up against."

Dead quiet followed that statement.

"…Well, we need a Pretear more than ever now, don't we?" Gaki stated the obvious, his tone light but his expression somber. "Is there any progress on that front yet?"

Kirei shook her head sadly, feeling like a failure. Ever since rehearsals for the musical started, she had been slacking in her duties as a Leafe Knight, and now when they needed a Pretear the most, she, as the leader of the third generation of Leafe Knights, was coming up short.

"I can handle anything that happens right now," Sakura spoke up, taking pity on her daughter. She paused, and then added darkly, "but I don't know how long my powers will hold out."

"Very well. We'll just have to do what we can until a new Pretear is found," Kato decided with a nod.

"Someone should tell the rest of our young Leafe Knights what's going on," Hiro pointed out; it appeared he had calmed down for now. "Where are they?"

"Standing outside the door," Satoshi reported with a smirk as his ear piece glowed. "They've been standing out there for the last half hour."

There was a thump behind the door, and Heisei's voice grumbled quite audibly, "I _told_ you they would know we were here."

"Oh shut up, Musika! Not everyone has supernatural hearing like you!" Akaru's voice immediately shot back.

Kirei sighed and got up to open the door knowing that, if left alone, Heisei and Akaru could be bickering all night long. The door swung open, and Tsurara, Taki and Tochi tumbled to the floor in front of Kirei. She folded her arms and glared at her team of Leafe Knights, clearly irritated.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be waiting in the living room?" she reminded them, narrowing her eyes pointedly at Heisei, Akaru and Hanabi: the three of them should have known better, at least. But none of them looked ashamed in the slightest.

Akaru had the nerve to look indignant, even. "And who says you should be the only one who knows what's going on?" he challenged her, his hands on his hips.

"Yeah! We're Leafe Knights too!" Hanabi butted in as he and Akaru barged past, followed by Tsurara, Taki and Tochi.

"But I'm the leader…ugh, forget it," Kirei sighed, putting a hand to her temple. She did not feel very much like the leader at the moment. Heisei sent her a gaze that was almost sympathetic, and he too entered the room to join the many conversations now taking place between the second and third generation of Leafe Knights. Feeling troubled, Kirei approached Kato.

"Hey, Kato-oji-san…about this bruise—"

"I don't know when it will go away, Kirei-chan," Kato cut her off with that uncanny ability to almost always know what someone was about to say. "I think you're just going to have to wait it out."

Kirei frowned. That was exactly what she was afraid of. "Really? There's nothing I can do?"

"It's not a normal bruise, Kirei-chan," Kato reminded her, "you can't treat it like a normal one."

Kirei sighed. "I understand. Thanks anyway."

Kato peered at her with an unreadable look. Unexpectedly, he reached out and patted Kirei's head. She looked at him, startled. Kato had not patted her head like that since she was a child.

"You'll be all right, Kirei-chan," he said with the smallest of smiles, "you're the leader of your generation for a reason, after all."

Kirei's mouth quirked up. "Thanks, but for right now, I'm not concerned about the enemy. I'm just not looking forward to how my chorus teacher will react when she sees my face…"

* * *

"OH MY GOODNESS! What happened, Kirei-chan?" Ms. Utani instantly exclaimed, her eyes catching sight of the large bandage on Kirei's face.

Kirei winced. She and Heisei had returned to school just in time for rehearsal, and just as she suspected, Ms. Utani was kicking up a fuss. Still, Kirei shuddered to think how the chorus teacher would react if she saw the strange shape of the bruise beneath her bandage…

"It's not a big deal, Utani-sensei," Kirei assured the concerned choir teacher. "I just…fell down some stairs, that's all."

"Oh dear! How bad is it?" Ms. Utani wanted to know, reaching toward the bandage, but Kirei flinched away.

"It's just a bruise. It'll be gone soon, I promise," Kirei claimed, hoping Ms. Utani could not see the doubt in her eyes. The chorus teacher continued to look concerned, but after a moment, she nodded.

"If you say so, Kirei-chan. But please, do everything you can to speed your recovery, 'kay? We can't have our leading lady all bruised up, can we Pakutesu-sensei?"

"Whatever," Ms. Pakutesu replied from the bottom of her coffee cup, as was her trademark.

"Okay! We need to get started! Miyu-chan, will you join Kirei-chan center stage, please?"

Miyu did as she was asked, her wide hazel eyes full of worry as she approached Kirei.

"Are you okay, Kirei-chan?" she could not help but ask. Though she was already weary of the question, Kirei could not help but smile at Miyu.

"I'm fine, Miyu-chan. I'm tougher than some bruise," she boasted, making the other girl sigh in relief. As they prepared to run through lines, Kirei felt eyes on her. She turned around and found the gaze of Miyu's brother on her. When their gazes met, Ren's glance slid to the bandage on Kirei's face, and he very deliberately raised an eyebrow.

His look spoke volumes: _You tripped down the stairs? Yeah right, I'm not buying it._

Kirei's eyes narrowed, and she shot him a look of her own: _Mind your own business, Yamashita._ She stuck out her tongue for good measure before returning her attention to Miyu and her lines. Her response may have been a little immature, but she did not care: what happened in her private life was not the business of Ren Yamashita.

* * *

"Are you sure it's all right for me to suddenly come over like this, Kirei-chan?" Miyu asked, self-conscious as she stepped into the foyer of Kirei's home. Kirei smothered a giggle at Miyu's expression as she looked around the mansion: she looked like an awed little kid at a museum.

"Utani-sensei asked us to practice on our own, didn't she?" Kirei reminded the smaller girl as she led her up the stairs to her bedroom. "By practicing together, we're killing two birds with one stone. Plus, Heisei said he'd come over a bit later after all his homework was done, so he can help out too."

"I don't know…" Miyu mumbled, and Kirei turned to find that her friend's face was bright red. Maybe she was shy at the prospect of practicing their lines together?

"C'mon, it'll be fun," Kirei coaxed with a grin as they finally entered her bedroom. Miyu gazed around, open-mouthed, and Kirei could not help the chuckle that escaped her.

"Your room is so big…" Miyu breathed, her eyes wide as she looked around.

"Yeah. I like it," Kirei said, trying not to sound spoiled. "Maybe I could come visit you sometime, Miyu-chan."

Miyu flushed bright red once more, and Kirei was once again lost for a reason. "O-oh, my house isn't nearly as nice…"

Kirei shook her head good-naturedly. "I don't care. I want to visit because I want to visit you, Miyu-chan," she said simply, and was amused when Miyu ducked her head in embarrassment. Miyu really was too cute sometimes.

A maid entered then, setting a tray of tea and cookies on a table in Kirei's room. She curtsied to Kirei and Miyu and then took her leave, Miyu staring after her. Kirei was abruptly reminded that not everyone was well taken care of like she was, and she was once again struck by how odd her life must seem to others, when it was just business as usual for her. She truly was lucky.

"Shall we start?" Kirei offered, taking a cookie from the tray and munching on it. Before Miyu could reply, however, a loud roaring sound was heard from outside. Without stopping to think, Kirei ran to her balcony and hopped up onto the railing, her eyes scanning for a possible threat. But she did not feel anything…so what was that noise?

"Kirei-chan!"

Kirei swiveled to find Miyu staring at her, horrorstruck. "Please, come down from there, Kirei-chan! You'll get hurt!" Miyu pleaded. Belatedly, Kirei realized she had jumped the gun in front of Miyu, and it was her turn to flush bright red.

"Sorry," she apologized, jumping down from the railing. "I just—"

The roaring noise sounded again. Kirei whirled once more, her eyes intent on the garden below. Where was that noise coming from?

Kirei did not have to wonder for long: from behind a hedge stepped Ren, his hand pulling a chord as an angry-sounding chainsaw revved in his grasp. It was rather rusty-looking, which was probably why Ren was having such trouble getting it to start. He looked determined, however, and persistently yanked at the chord until he got the stubborn chainsaw running. Kirei wondered what it was he could be doing with the chainsaw…but then she saw him heading to one of her favorite trees in the garden, and she sucked in a breath.

"STOP!" She shouted, leaping onto the balcony once more, but Ren could not hear her over the roar of the chainsaw. She had half a mind to jump down there and rip the wretched thing from his hands, but a tug at her ankle stayed her. All of a sudden, Kirei recalled Miyu's presence, and the smaller girl look frightened out of her wits.

"Kirei-chan, please!" she begged once more. "If you need to get to the garden, just use the stairs!"

"Ah…right," Kirei replied, looking sheepish. "Sorry for scaring you, Miyu-chan. Anyway, let's go before your brother does irreparable damage to my trees!"

Kirei hopped down from the railing once again and took off running from her room, leaving Miyu behind in the dust. She took the shortest route to the garden—through the foyer, across the living room and out the back door—and got to the fountain just in time to watch Ren hack off a limb of her favorite apple tree.

"HEY!" Kirei called again, but Ren could not hear her. So she improvised by picking up a rock and throwing it at his back. Ren flinched, taken by surprise by the blow, and he looked behind him to find Kirei breathing hard and glaring at him. He shut off the chainsaw and turned to face her with a glower of his own.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded to know. "I'm operating a dangerous machine! Now is not the time to throw stuff at me!"

"What are you doing to my childhood?" Kirei cut across him, jabbing a finger at the apple tree behind him. "Most of my best memories happened in or below that tree!"

Ren stared at her like she was insane. "It's an old tree. Awayuki-san requested that I cut it down," he explained to Kirei slowly, as if she were a child. "If you've got a problem, talk to your mother."

His hand reached for the cord of the chainsaw once more, but Kirei had scooped up another rock and was aiming for his head this time.

"Don't you dare chop another part off!" she ordered, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. "I mean it—I'll give you a concussion if I have to!"

"Are you crazy?" Ren finally voiced what his expression was saying.

"That tree is special to me," Kirei explained again, an undercurrent of danger belying her calm voice. "Chop it down and you die."

Ren was about to respond, his face incredulous, when something over Kirei's shoulder distracted him. Stepping to the side so that she could keep him in her peripheral vision, Kirei turned to find Miyu staggering towards her, looking panicked and out of breath. A wave of guilt rushed over her for leaving Miyu behind.

"Kirei…chan…" Miyu wheezed, "you're…so fast…"

Biting her lower lip, Kirei moved to Miyu and rubbed her back, feeling bad. "I'm sorry, Miyu-chan," she apologized, "I just had to make sure your brother wasn't going to do anything drastic."

Ren muttered something that sounded suspiciously like an insult in English, and another angry roar was heard. Kirei whipped around quickly and raised her rock projectile at the ready.

"I told you to quit it with the chainsaw!"

"I didn't touch it!" Ren protested, his hazel gaze on the stone in Kirei's hand. She looked down. Sure enough, the chainsaw was now at Ren's feet. His hands were nowhere near it.

Kirei lowered the rock, a feeling of dread coming over her. But then, if that was not Ren with the chainsaw…

Another roar sounded, closer this time, followed by a few angry thuds. Kirei watched as trees fell in the distance, and her feeling of dread intensified. Whatever was coming was big…and it was coming right at them.

"Ren, Miyu," Kirei spoke, her voice oddly calm, "I need you two to go inside and get my mother. Now."

Ren looked at her again, this time in confusion. "What—"

"NOW!" Kirei screamed, but too late: a thunderous cry was heard, and before Kirei knew it, a monstrously large…_thing_ had exploded through the garden walls, sending dirt, debris and plant life everywhere. Kirei shielded her face with her arms, pushed back by the strong gust of wind the monster released. She heard Ren swear loudly, and Miyu scream. The timing was really bad, but what could she do?

Kirei took a deep breath and focused. It was not easy, but she managed to grab hold of the raw power inside of her, and allowed it to remold her into the Leafe Knight of Wind. She heard gasps from either side of her, but she could not focus on that now: she had a job to do.

The Demon Larvae roared, sensing her Leafe, and swung at her with a jelly-like tentacle. But her transformation was complete, and she was able to leap out of the way just in the nick of time. From her position in the sky, she could see everything—the massive size of the Demon Larvae, the damage it caused getting to the garden, how its path of destruction seemed to originate from the jungle part of the garden, and most importantly, the stunned looks that Miyu and Ren wore as they stared up at her.

Kirei frowned. She knew she had a lot of explaining to do, but now was not the time. The Yamashita siblings had to get out of there!

"Get inside the house!" She called down to them, praying they would be able to hear. "Hurry!"

Ren did not need to be told twice. Quickly, he darted to his sister and grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him as he ran. But a tree blocked the way back into the mansion from the back, so for now, Ren ducked under the alcove, Miyu shielded protectively behind him.

'_Good enough_,' Kirei thought, turning her attention back to the Demon Larvae. She would have to distract it long enough for help to arrive, so she focused on flying around it, throwing attacks at random spots to try and discern the weak spot. She was so intent on this task that she failed to notice a stray tentacle heading right for her. The Demon Larvae snatched her out of the air, like she was a mere fly, and wrapped its tentacle around her, sapping the Leafe from her at an alarming rate. Kirei screamed, the agony too much for her to endure. No amount of training could have prepared her for torture such as this.

Suddenly, there was a battle cry, and a slicing sound pierced through the air. The pain was gone, Kirei realized. She staggered a bit at first, but found she could still fly…just barely. She turned mid-air to see her mother as the Wind Pretear, hacking at the tentacles of the Demon Larvae, which just seemed to keep coming, no matter how hard she fought.

"Mom!" Kirei cried, attempting to fly to her mother's aid.

"Go!" Sakura yelled, halting her daughter's approach. "Get help!"

"But Mom—"

"GO!" Sakura cried desperately, and somehow, Kirei could hear her father in that cry as well. Still, she hesitated. In that instant, the Demon Larvae came for her again, a sinister tentacle headed her way. She cringed, knowing she would not be fast enough to outrun it…and was knocked out of the way. She flew back a foot or two and somersaulted, watching in horror and helplessness as her mother was seized by the monster, crying out as her Leafe was drained mercilessly. Unfeeling, the Demon Larvae discarded Sakura's limp body by flinging it down to the ground.

"MOM! DAD!" Kirei cried out, attempting to rush to her mother's aid, but suddenly, she was surrounded by tentacles. In a panic, she shot straight up into the air, trying to outrun the ghastly things. But they just kept coming after her, no matter how high she went. Kirei began to panic. This was too much for her. Her parents might be dead, her friends were in trouble, and she could do nothing to stop any of it. She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears and swallowed around the lump in her throat. It was over.

"KIREI!"

Kirei's eyes flew open. She could not see him, but she could hear him—it was Heisei!

The tentacles had stopped coming after her, and Kirei took the opportunity to dive back down to the ground below. She whizzed by Heisei, throwing everything he had at the Demon Larvae, which was only making it angrier. She had to hurry and alter her trajectory to join Heisei's side.

"Damn, this thing is tough!" Heisei growled. He and Kirei had to dodge as the Demon Larvae roared and shot a dark beam at them.

"Well there's a new trick!" Kirei commented, her panic making her flippant.

"Where is Sakura-san?" Heisei asked, throwing another attack at the wretched servant of the Prince of Darkness.

"Dead," replied Kirei. At the sharp look Heisei threw at her, she amended, "well, she might be. We're _all_ dead if this thing doesn't die!"

Heisei cursed under his breath. She heard him mutter something—the tail end of it sounded like, "didn't want to do this…"—before he was suddenly taking off for the ground.

"HEISEI!"

"Keep it distracted! I'll be right back!" Heisei called over his shoulder. Kirei watched in incredulity as he touched down near the Yamashita siblings and approached them. He appeared to be beckoning to Miyu, whom was staring at him in disbelief. Ren was still standing in front of her, and he did not look as if he was moving anytime soon. Kirei was interrupted by the Demon Larvae, who tried to swat at her once more. She yelped in surprise and quickly dodged, trying to see what was going on down below as well as attempting to keep her distance from the Demon Larvae's many tentacles.

Heisei was still talking to Miyu—she was in front of him now—and he appeared to be gesturing animatedly. From what Kirei could see, Miyu looked frightened. What was Heisei doing?

There was another close call with the Demon Larvae's tentacles, and Kirei screamed for Heisei once more. Heisei looked up at her, huffed, and seized Miyu's right hand without warning.

A bright burst of light resulted, so bright that Kirei had to shield her eyes. The Demon Larvae roared in agony, appearing to be blinded as well.

But wait…Kirei knew this light…was it possible…?

The light faded. Kirei looked down once more…and could not believe her eyes. Miyu was still there, to be sure. But Heisei had disappeared. And judging from Miyu's new white and violet frumpy outfit, Kirei could pretty much guess where he went.

'_Miyu-chan is the Pretear!_' Her thoughts incoherent past that one fact, Kirei flew to the ground, unable to fully comprehend it unless she saw it up close.

When Kirei touched down, Miyu was panicking, whirling about and staring at her new form as if she were an alien. Her brother still stood under the alcove, gaping at his sister in the same manner that she was regarding herself.

"Wha-wha-wha…" Miyu was stammering, looking close to tears. "K-Kirei-chan, wh-what's happening? Wh-what's going on?"

"I can't explain right now," Kirei said, feeling guilty. But this needed to be finished if they all did not want to die where they stood. "But I need you to help us, Miyu. You're the only one who can."

"H-help you?" Miyu stuttered; her stammering was only getting worse because she was nervous. "B-but—"

"Miyu, _please_," Kirei pleaded, her eyes desperate. "I need your help. Just listen to Heisei—he'll tell you what to do."

"H-Heisei-san? B-but where is—" Miyu cut herself off, her eyes widening at some unknown horror. She let out a squawk of surprise. "H-Heisei-san? Wh-where are you? Where are you speaking from?"

Kirei tried to resist the urge to slap her forehead. They did not have time for this, and it seemed as if the Demon Larvae had recovered from its bout of blindness. That was Kirei's cue to take off again.

"Miyu, please just listen to Heisei for now! We'll tell you everything later!" Kirei promised, and she took to the sky once more, fresh determination welling up inside her. They had found their Pretear! It was nothing short of a miracle, though Kirei suspected that Heisei had actually known for a while…but that was not important now. Kirei could only hope that Miyu would be able to get it together before things got any more serious.

Luckily, at that moment, the rest of Kirei's generation of Leafe Knights decided to show up.

"Kirei, are you all—HOLY crap!" Akaru exclaimed, spying the beast below.

"Are they supposed to be that big?" Hanabi interjected, his ruby eyes wide.

"Of course not, dummy! Weren't you listening to Uncle Kato the other day? They're more powerful now!" Tsurara chided Hanabi at once, looking down at the Demon Larvae with distaste.

"It's so ugly!" Taki remarked, making a face.

"I'm scared!" Tochi cried, clinging onto the nearest person—much to Akaru's displeasure.

"It's about time you guys showed up!" Kirei berated them, though she was way beyond relieved. She knew she would not last long if she tried to take on this Demon Larvae by herself. "Okay, we need to distract this thing for a while until Miyu can get her wits about her—I'll explain later!" she said, exasperated at the blank looks she was receiving. "The point is we need to keep it busy for a while! So let's go! And be careful—it's strong!"

"Got it!" All at once, the Leafe Knights spread out and surrounded the Demon Larvae. For a minute it was confused, as if it did not know whom to go after first. However, that choice was never made, for the Leafe Knights began firing from all sides at the Demon Larvae, confusing it as well as enraging it. With another sigh of relief, Kirei turned to find that Miyu was in the air now. She was trembling, but at least had two fingers to her lips, as was the attack of the Sound Pretear. She appeared to pause, and Kirei was guessing that she was listening to the instructions Heisei was giving her. Her first two attempts to use the attack failed, and Kirei bit her lip. What would happen to them if Miyu could not do this?

But the third time truly was the charm: Miyu performed the Sonic Arrow successfully, and the Demon Larvae roared its last roar before collapsing, its tentacles retracting. It did not move any more.

"YOU DID IT!" Kirei cheered gratefully, and she touched down to the ground where Miyu had just landed. There was another flash of light, and Heisei was standing next to Miyu, a stiff expression on his face as Miyu sank to the ground, still trembling all over. Kirei sat down next to her, frowning in concern now. What was wrong?

"Akaru, Hanabi, Tsurara, Taki and Tochi: please go check on my mom. She's over there," Kirei directed the other five to the far end of the garden, where her mother lay worryingly still. They left, and Kirei and Heisei were left alone with Miyu.

"Miyu-chan," Kirei asked, rubbing the younger girl's back. Miyu had her face in her hands, and was clearly sobbing.

"I-I-I'm scared…" she whimpered through her tears. "I d-d-don't w-want to d-do this…"

Kirei felt herself deflating. What was supposed to be a great victory was unraveling with Miyu's confidence, and Kirei was not sure what to do. On the one hand, she did not want Miyu to do anything she did not want to do. But on the other hand, now that they had found their Pretear, there was really no backing out now. Today's battle attested to that: without a Pretear, they were screwed.

"…Miyu," Kirei began, her voice as gentle as she could make it, "I know that was scary, especially since that was your first time Preting." Kirei took this moment to shoot a reproachful look at Heisei, whom had forced the Prete onto Miyu before she was ready—granted, the situation was desperate, but still. "But now that you know what to expect, I promise it will get better. You're our Pretear, after all. With the proper training—"

"N-no," Miyu hiccupped, raising her face to look at Kirei. Her rosy cheeks were streaked with tears, and her hazel eyes spoke of fear. "I don't want to, Kirei-chan. P-please don't make me…"

Kirei bit her lip, clearly torn. Miyu obviously did not want this life. What was Kirei supposed to do now?

"Miyu, please," Kirei tried again, trying not to be unnerved by Miyu's tears, "we need you. You have to—"

"Stop it!"

Kirei jumped. Amidst the chaos, she had forgotten that Ren was still there. Now he was in front of them, glaring down at her as if she were one of the Devil's agents, making their lives hell. He roughly shoved past Kirei and picked Miyu up, setting her on her feet. She clutched at the back of his shirt, still weeping, as he turned to face Kirei and Heisei.

"You stay away from my sister," Ren growled, his hackles raised as he glared at the Knight of Wind and the Knight of Sound. He eyed their clothing in disgust, his look reminiscent of one seeing the guts of an animal spilled before them. "You're freaks! All of you!"

"We did not make your sister the way she is," Heisei spoke up, his violet gaze sharp upon an infuriated Ren. "She was born with this power. We just used it. If we are 'freaks', then what is your sister?"

"Shut up!" Ren barked, though his face was reddening. "You're…this is all some crazy dream! Or a drug-induced fantasy! None of this can be real!"

"What makes you think so?" Heisei wanted to know, his tone conversational, as if they were discussing a possible change in the weather.

"Because it can't be!" Ren asserted. A vein was beginning to pulse in his temple, Kirei noticed as she got to her feet. "It's all insanity! Monsters and heroes—they're the stuff comic books are made of! No one actually has powers or is from another planet or…"

A thought seemed to occur to Ren. His gaze shifted to her, looked her up and down. And though he said nothing, Kirei felt that there was something in his gaze that she should feel insulted by.

"That's it, isn't it?" he said quietly, looking at Kirei. "It's the money. You and your family and friends take role-playing way too seriously, so you spend all this money on props and costumes and special effects or whatever the hell this is…that's it, isn't it?" he repeated, excited now, as if he had unraveled one of the world's greatest mysteries. "This is all some crack pot dream that you got me and my sister mixed up in for kicks! You're all psychos—you and your parents!"

Kirei felt herself go hot. Her vision had gone an odd crimson color as well, and there was a loud ringing in her ears. She became aware that her feet were moving, pulling her forward. She was approaching Ren at a rapid speed, and her right hand was raised. It was not until the last minute, when her hand began to fall, that Kirei realized what was about to happen.

And she did not do a damn thing to stop it.

A loud crack sounded as she brought the palm of her hand down hard on Ren's cheek, snapping his head sideways. Miyu's eyes were wide behind her brother's back, and the Leafe Knights attending to Sakura looked up at the noise, surprise etched all over their faces.

Kirei was breathing hard, and she took a savage pleasure in the look of pure shock on Ren's face as he stared off to the side.

"How _dare_ you," she hissed through gritted teeth. "How _dare_ you speak about my parents that way! They let you have a job here! They were _nice_ to you! Don't believe us if you don't want to, I don't care! But you will NOT insult my parents in front of me!"

The jumping vein in Ren's temple was back. He was mad now.

"You bitch!" he snarled, snatching Kirei's right hand with his own, looking ready to kill.

It was then that the strangest thing happened.

Kirei felt an odd tingling sensation, the feeling she often got when she was about to de-transform. In confusion, she looked down at herself to see if her transformation was coming undone from exhaustion—to see her and Ren's joined hands glowing with an unearthly light.

Kirei's eyes grew wide. '_No—NO WAY!_' She tried to wrench her hand from Ren's, but he had a tight grip on her. His eyes were also on their hands, and he seemed too stunned to do anything. So Kirei had no choice—she was dragged helplessly into Ren's body, her Leafe reshaping him into something different, something new…something powerful.

The next thing Kirei knew, she had completely disappeared. She was still there, yes, but her sense of "self" was gone. Kirei no longer existed. She was now only there as a guide.

A guide to the Pretear…which was Ren? Kirei looked around, but found her view was limited. She could only see what the Pretear saw in this state, of course. And right now, Ren was looking down at himself in stark silence. Kirei had become attuned to his emotions, and she could feel the shock, the anger, and the confusion he was feeling, nearly choking him.

She sighed. "_Well, this is a fantastic situation,_" she grumbled, surprising herself with how insubstantial her voice sounded, as if she were nothing more than a spirit haunting the living. Kirei frowned, displeased with this new feeling. If this was what Preting felt like to her, she was going to make sure she did not have to do it very often.

Ren had jumped when Kirei spoke, and he whirled around, turning a whole 360 degrees before became convinced that Kirei was not near him. He turned to see Miyu, staring at him with her wide hazel eyes, a look of incomprehension and awe on her face. Curious now, Ren moved to the pool—the only thing left of the fountain—to look at his reflection. Kirei tagged along, with no other choice available to her.

He was still Ren…and yet, different. A navy blue, skin tight t-shirt hugged his upper body, the material feeling a lot like rubber. There was a white vest over it, the zipper slanting to the left of it, leading to the wing insignia of the Knight of Wind. A mesh, baby blue cape could be seen flowing behind him, attached to the front of his vest, almost like short sleeves. He wore blue pants similar to denim, and a pair of white boots. And on top of his head—Ren yanked the thing out as soon as he saw it—was a tiara (he could think of no manlier word to describe it), slim made of gold, save for the deep blue gem in the middle of it.

"What the f—" Ren began, but was promptly cut off by a howl near-by. He whipped around, and he and Kirei groaned as one as the Demon Larvae began to move. Its tentacles shot out once more, and it gave an angry cry.

"_Damn it, I really thought Miyu had killed it!_" Kirei griped, wishing she had the ability to slap her forehead. Ren jumped once more at her voice.

"Where the hell are you?" he demanded to know, looking around again. Kirei made a disgusted noise at him.

"_Now's not the time, Ren! If you want to live—if you want to protect Miyu—you'll listen to me!_"

Ren scowled. "Can't you just call this damn thing off?"

"_This isn't a freaking game, Ren!_" Kirei shouted at him, already pissed off. "_You have to kill this thing right now, because if you don't, Miyu will die!_"

The Demon Larvae roared again and lunged at Miyu. She screamed, and Heisei had to leap to her rescue. It was too close for comfort, however, and Kirei noted with relief that she was beginning to feel Ren's resolve. He squared his shoulders and leveled a glare at the flailing Demon Larvae, now having to deal with the rest of the Leafe Knights once more.

"Okay. Tell me what I need to do to kill this thing," he agreed, his tone fierce. Fore come reason, Kirei began to feel excited, and she began to instruct him at once.

"_It's easy. Just focus. There's a raw power inside you, waiting for you to take hold of it. All you have to do is reach it, and form it into a weapon_."

Ren did as she said. Within seconds, he had drawn a long sword made out of what looked like solid blue crystal. He swung it around, testing the weight. Kirei got the feeling that this was not the first time Ren had swung a sword.

"_Okay, you've got your weapon_," she encouraged. So far so good. "_Now you need to find the core of the Demon Larvae_."

"Core?" Ren echoed in confusion. Kirei sighed and reminded herself that it was his first time, and she should not lose patience with him.

"_Yes, the core. If you fly up into the air, you can get a better view_," she suggested.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Ren questioned, his tone bewildered.

Kirei sighed again. Patience was indeed a virtue. "_ Just call upon the power of the wind to help you. I am the Knight of Wind, so when you're Preting with me, you can summon the powers of the wind_."

"Knight? Preting?"

"_Just do it_!"

Ren tried. He began to hover a few feet off the ground, but he was startled by that feat alone, and he fell back to the ground with a crash.

"_Ow!_" Kirei cried out, surprised. With chagrin, she recalled the first thing her father told her about being a Leafe Knight: As a Knight, you have to be two things—the sword, to help the Pretear fight, and the shield, to defend the Pretear from harm.

Kirei was fine with the sword part. That much she could do. It was the shield part that suddenly had her worried. If Ren was not careful…

Ren was distracted. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"_Nevermind me,_" Kirei growled, willing herself to shake it off. "_Just focus. You can do this._"

Ren did better this time around, soaring into the air over the battle. The Leafe Knights were giving it all they had, Kirei could see. But she could also tell that they were getting tired. If this did not end soon, they were going to be in big trouble.

"_Okay, now find the core!_" she directed, seeing through Ren's eyes as he looked. The Demon Larvae truly was massive, and it was a wonder the monstrosity was even fitting in their garden and not spilling out into the street…

"Gah!" Ren cried out, and Kirei spotted it as well. A piece of the Demon Larvae was throbbing, like a heart. She could feel Ren's repulsion, and she sympathized with him.

"_Almost there! Now you had to fly in and destroy it with that nifty sword you have there._"

Ren's face went pale. "I have to get _closer_? Why can't I just throw the sword?"

"_Because you run the risk of either missing your target, or hitting someone else. Or both_," Kirei replied dryly. "_And it isn't a boomerang; it won't come back to you once you throw it, so if you miss, you're just going to have to go down there and get it anyway._"

Kirei felt Ren's unease, and she sighed gustily. "_Look, it needs to be done. The longer you wait, the worse it's going to get._"

Ren sighed too, and he squared his shoulders once more. "All right, I'm going in," he announced. Kirei was pleased.

"_All right, let's go! Just watch out for—ahhh!_" She did not have time to finish before Ren was off, nose diving to the center of the Demon Larvae, where the core was. He pursued the core with a single-minded determination; he did not seem to feel it when tentacles lashed at him, batting him around as a kitten might play with a ball of yarn.

But Kirei felt it. She felt it all. She had to keep herself from crying out so Ren could finish the job. If she distracted him now, they were as good as dead. '_Just a bit more,_' she kept telling herself, relieved by the fact that she could still think to just herself. '_Almost there…_'

"DIE!" Ren shouted, thrusting his sword straight through the core.

And then it was over. The Demon Larvae gave one last cry of despair, and then dissipated into black ash. Leafe was released into the atmosphere, restoring the dead parts of Awayuki Garden…though it could not undo the damage the Demon Larvae caused. Ren fell to the ground once more, collapsing onto his backside and panting. His exhaustion was a small echo compared to Kirei's, and she felt herself being ripped from him and solidifying once more into her own person. She appeared next to him in a flash of blue light, lying flat on the ground. It was when she tried to sit up that she became aware that something was terribly wrong.

"Kirei!" she heard Heisei cried, followed by several other voices. Even her mother was calling her name. Her mom was okay. That was great.

"Kirei!" This voice was closer to her. Kirei turned to see Ren leaning over her, his expression horrified. She must have looked like hell, with a gash across her stomach from all the lashes she took from the Demon Larvae. She brushed an experimental hand across her stomach and looked. Immediately after, she wished she had not. Blood coated her hand.

Kirei glanced back over to Ren, and was surprised to see the shock and guilt in his hazel eyes. He had surmised, somehow, that her state was his fault. And now he was looking over her, at a complete loss for what to do.

Kirei smiled, no longer angry at him. He had gotten the job done, after all.

"Good job, Ren," she complimented him. His eyes tightened. He started to say something, but Kirei could no longer hear him. Something was wrong with her ears. And then there were people everywhere, surrounding her, looking at her with eyes full of worry. A hand gripped hers, warm, and full of life. Even as she felt that life being forced into her body, she closed her eyes.

Kirei was so tired. After this mess, she just wanted to sleep for a long time.

**A/N****: (Yawns) Yeah, like I said above, it's very late, and, like Kirei, I'm very tired. Happy belated New Years, though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review!**

**-MuraSakura**


	7. Chapter 7: We Are Heroes

**Female Leafe Knight Kirei**

**Summary****: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to ****Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear****. OC Pairings GALORE!**

**A/N****: (Cues fanfare) TA-DAHH! Chapter 7 is here~! Yeah, the last time I posted was sometime in January, so I figured I'd crank this one out for you guys.**

**Hiro: Shouldn't you be writing a paper right now?**

**MuraSakura: …Maybe. But that's beside the point!**

**Hiro: Sure it is.**

**MuraSakura: Shut up. Anyway, disclaimer! Kirei-chan, if you please!**

**Kirei: (Pops up) Hai, hai! A-HEM! The authoress of this fanfic doesn't own Pretear in any way, shape or form. She also does not own Kai Hiwatari—he is property of the Beyblade franchise. The OCs of Tenshi Hiwatari and Hiniku Musika are owned by Mishi-chan and Invisible Love, respectively.**

**MuraSakura: Yep, so no one can sue me, because I already acknowledged that I own nothing but the plot! :P**

**Hiro: (Mutters) As if anyone would actually sue you over something like this…(Gets hit by a shuriken) OW!**

**MuraSakura: Ha ha! That's what you get! I got a new toy. (Grins evilly)**

**Hiro: Ugh…someone…save me…**

**MuraSakura: No one can save you. Know why? Because you belong to ME. BWAHAHAHAHAHAA!**

**Hiro: Oh God, why…**

**MuraSakura: Anyway, time for Chapter 7 to start! I had fun writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Chapter Seven: We Are Heroes**

Ren still could not believe it. He refused to.

There was no way all of that just happened. He learned a long time ago that monsters weren't real, and that heroes only saved the day in comic books. Any suggestion of fiction becoming fact was just ludicrous.

And yet, here he sat, at the bedside of a fallen heroine after an epic battle with a monstrous creature that nearly killed them all. Ren could not stop himself from turning to look at the remnants of the battle outside in the Awayuki Gardens below. All the evidence was there, right in front of him…so what was it that was keeping him from believing it?

He had even played his part in it…though apparently at Kirei's cost. The gash in her abdomen had miraculously disappeared, but she was still unconscious, so Heisei, at Sakura's direction, had taken her up into her room to rest. He stayed there with her until Sakura called him away to discuss the situation with Miyu and his discovery of her identity.

Sakura had also taken this chance to fill both Miyu and Ren in on what they were exactly, although she did seem a bit astounded over the fact that Ren was also what they called a 'Pretear'…Ren got the impression that he was a freak among freaks.

He sat at Kirei's bedside, keeping an eye on her recovery at Sakura's request, left to ponder how his life had changed so drastically in a matter of hours.

This was all some sort of crazy dream, wasn't it? If Ren pinched himself now, would he awake to find himself in his room, discovering that this weird episode had taken place in his head?

The Yamashita brother shook his head at himself. Of course that wouldn't happen. One, things were never that easy, and two, he would _never_ dream up something as strange as what happened today.

The balcony doors to Kirei's room were thrown open, letting a nice breeze stir around the room. But funnily enough, the breeze seemed to circulate around Kirei, keeping her hair and bed sheets constantly rustling. Ren watched her, his thoughts now taking a new direction.

This girl had to be the most puzzling thing out of everything that happened today. He had enough trouble dealing with her on a regular basis, let alone after today's events. Though they had already agreed to get along for Miyu's sake, the fact that this girl constantly ran hot and cold when it came to him was frustrating in itself. And _now_, he finds out that she is apparently a supernatural being that is in charge of protecting the world from someone called the 'Prince of Darkness'? This day just got stranger and stranger, even with Sakura's explanation. Though he definitely understood the basics of who they were and what they did, Ren was still hopelessly lost on the whys and hows. Every time he tried to puzzle it out, he just kept getting stuck, and there were so many questions that he didn't know where to begin…

Kirei's fingers twitched. Ren's head snapped up, but the strange girl was still fast asleep, her eyes shut and breathing deep and steady. Ren returned his gaze to her right hand, now laying still. It was when he had grabbed that right hand that he allegedly triggered the 'Preting' reaction that caused Kirei to be…bound to him? Sakura had explained it in a way that left Ren confused, if not a little disturbed.

'_All I have to do…_' Ren pondered to himself, reaching over and lightly lifting Kirei's wrist so that her palm faced him, '_…is hold her right hand…?_'

Ren raised his own right palm, holding it inches away from Kirei's. If he did it a second time…what would happen? Would the illusion shatter? Or would it continue? Either way, how would Ren feel about this impossible reality?

Bit by bit, Ren moved his hand closer to Kirei's his uncertainty wavering and flaring with every passing second. A light began to form, faintly, in between their palms, as if it sensed that a change was about to happen. Ren stared, unwillingly fascinated. If he held Kirei's hand now, would he finally be satisfied?

Their palms were almost touching now. Just a bit further…

Suddenly, Kirei's hand balled into a fist. "Don't," said her voice, weak but commanding at the same time. Startled, Ren dropped her wrist and looked over to find that the girl called the Leafe Knight of Wind was awake, looking up at him with an unfathomable expression. Ren let his own hand fall back onto his lap.

"Finally awake, huh?" he greeted, letting out a small sigh of relief despite his tone. For once, Kirei had no retort; she looked like she didn't even have the energy to sit up by herself. Her eyes darted about the room, in search of something, it looked like.

"Mom," she finally uttered, but whether it was a question of her mother's well-being or a summons, Ren was not sure.

"Awayuki-san is downstairs, talking with my sister, I think," Ren informed her. He half-rose from his chair, looking uncertain. "Do you want me to go get her?"

Kirei heaved a deep sigh. "No," she decided, "just knowing she's all right is enough."

Ren sat back down, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. There was so much to say…but where to start?

"…I'm sorry," he apologized suddenly, bowing his head in shame.

"For what?" Kirei asked, sounding perplexed—Ren was too ashamed to lift his head and check her expression to be sure.

"From what was…explained to me, it seems to be my fault that you got hurt. For that, I am sorry," Ren apologized formally, lowering his head even more. "Also…I'm sorry for insulting your parents. I was…speaking in the heat of the moment, I guess."

He heard Kirei chuckle, and Ren raised his head to see that she was smirking at him. "It's okay. I'm not mad anymore. Besides, it looks like my slapping you made enough of an impression. I suppose I'm sorry for that," she apologized in return, her smirk tinged with awkwardness.

"Oh yeah, that hurt," Ren remembered, fingertips brushing against his cheek, where the handprint of Kirei's slap was still faintly visible. An even fainter smile curled the corners of his lips. "I can't say I didn't deserve it, though."

Kirei said nothing. Slowly, she sat up and leaned in—a little too close for Ren's comfort—her eyes avid on his face for some reason. Ren felt himself flush.

"What?" he wanted to know, too distracted by her staring to lean away.

Luckily, after a moment, Kirei sat back herself. "Oh…sorry," she apologized, sounding disappointed for some strange reason Ren couldn't fathom. He watched as she idly twirled a strand of her dark brown and auburn streaked hair around her finger as she looked away, her expression speculative. "It's just…I don't think I've ever seen you smile before."

'_That's a weird thing to be concerned about,_' Ren wanted to say. But when he thought about it, he realized that Kirei was sort of right—usually they were too busy yelling at each other over stupid stuff. Somehow embarrassed, Ren crossed his arms and reminded Kirei gruffly,

"Well, it's not like you smile in front of me a lot either."

That wasn't true. Not really. Ren had seen Kirei smile plenty of times…just never at him. For some reason, Ren was not entirely sure how he felt about this fact.

"Oh…really?" Kirei asked, looking surprised. She laughed at this, her expression awkward. "I guess you're right," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. A second later, she winced. "Ow," she huffed, placing a hand over her stomach.

"What happened?" Ren demanded to know, tensing up in his chair. Did she re-open the gash in her stomach?

Kirei merely shook her head, oblivious to Ren's concern. "I'm fine. It's just a little tender," she explained with a reassuring smile, "nothing to worry about."

Ah…there it was. That smile that he had seen her flash at Miyu, and Phoenix, and her mother…at pretty much everyone but him. Even Heisei earned her smiles every once in a while.

But now that such a smile from her was aimed at him…

'_She's cuter when she smiles,_' Ren noted to himself with some surprise. A second later, he realized what he had just acknowledged in his mind.

"_What?_" He shouted unexpectedly, startling Kirei senseless.

"What are you yelling for, all of a sudden?" she shouted back indignantly, looking as if she had almost suffered a heart attack. Ren, now realizing how foolishly he was behaving, gave a curt cough and quickly regained his composure.

"Ah…sorry," he apologized, looking awkward. "I, uh, thought I saw a spider…"

Kirei gave him a look that made Ren almost certain that he was about to regret the words that just left his mouth.

"Ren…you're afraid of spiders…?" Kirei questioned him, a hand over her mouth—though Ren could tell that she was smirking at him. His face slipped into a scowl.

"No, I'm not," he tried to deny, but too late. Kirei was already looking at him with eyes that appeared to pity him…but to Ren, they were mocking eyes.

"Hey, it's okay, no need to try and appear cool," Kirei assured him, her gleeful aura growing as Ren sweatdropped, "your secret is safe with me, my spider-fearing friend!"

"Oh shut up already," Ren growled, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Honestly. How am I supposed to believe that you're a superhero when you act like this?"

That caught Kirei's attention. She appeared shocked for a moment before a snicker escaped her, followed by a series of smothered giggles that evolved into an all-out laugh riot. Ren's brow puckered once more.

'_Why am I putting up with being mocked?_' he wondered to himself. He had almost made up his mind to leave when Kirei finally settled down, rubbing tears of amusement out of her eyes.

"A superhero…is that how you see me?" Kirei asked him, smiling wryly. Ren looked away, his face flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, what else could you be?" he grumbled under his breath, disgruntled. After all, he hadn't dreamed the ethereal battle that had taken place what seemed like ages ago…right?

"You've got it wrong."

"Huh?"

Ren looked up to find Kirei's steady gaze on him, as serious as he'd ever seen her. Suddenly, Ren felt as if he were looking at a stranger—everything he had observed and learned about Kirei, from her explosive temper to her stubborn pride, was a façade. The girl that sat before him now, her spine straight and face stoic—like that of a warrior—was another person altogether from the girl Ren thought he had all figured out. And even so, he sensed that this girl was just another facet of the entity known as Kirei Awayuki. It was such a strange thought…intriguingly so.

"I am not privileged with powers," Kirei spoke after a moment, bringing Ren out of his thoughts, "rather, it is my responsibility to protect this land. It is my legacy, my birthright…my duty."

Kirei smiled here, the kindest smile Ren had ever seen her give. "I'm not a superhero at all."

Ren stared, unable to follow this line of logic. "What are you, then?" he asked. At this, Kirei sighed and rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath that sounded like "foolish mortal" to Ren.

"You're asking all the wrong questions," Kirei answered before Ren could get irritated. "The real question you should be asking is: what are _you_?"

'_What am I…?_' Ren pondered to himself, the words echoing Kirei rather than an inquiry directed to himself. Soon, however, the echo morphed into an interrogation. '_What are you? What are you?_' Ren's mind repeated, stubbornly attempting to prod answers from him. But for the first time in his life, Ren did not have them. Sakura had told him and his sister that they were Pretears, but what _was_ a Pretear? Just what was Sakura asking of Miyu and Ren?

In this insane, supernatural, impossible picture, just where did he and Miyu fit?

Just then, Ren was saved from his immense confusion and self-doubt…though not in a way he particularly liked. Kirei's bedroom door swung open without warning, and Heisei entered. Immediately, his eyes zeroed in on Kirei.

"You're awake," he acknowledged, surprising Ren with how relieved the usually stoic teenager sounded.

"Yeah, I—" Kirei had begun to reply, but cut off the rest of her sentence in surprise when Heisei suddenly embraced her. As Ren watched, he did not miss the cold glare the Knight of Sound gave him from the corner of his eye as he held Kirei, the accusation loud and clear to Ren.

And Ren could not bring himself to glare back like he wanted to, because he felt as guilty as Heisei seemed to think he was.

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again," Heisei scolded a perplexed Kirei once he released her. She gave him an incredulous look.

"Oh yeah, because I passed out just to freak you out, Heisei," she replied sardonically, but Ren could see the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corners of her mouth. Despite what she said, she seemed to be happy that Heisei had worried about her.

Abruptly, Ren was on his feet. Both Kirei and Heisei looked over at him, but he avoided their gazes as he strode over to the door. It had suddenly become too constricting in that room, and he needed some air.

"I wouldn't go far," Heisei called after Ren, causing him to pause, his hand on the doorknob. "Now that Kirei is awake, we all need to talk."

"Haven't we talked enough?" Ren grumbled, scowling over at the other boy. His glare did not faze Heisei, however.

"Not quite. I actually came upstairs because Sakura-san asked me to come get you," Heisei informed the disgruntled Ren. "She says it's time for proper introductions now."

"'Introductions'?" Ren parroted, the crease in his brow deepening. "But—"

"_Proper_ introductions," Heisei corrected him, adjusting his glasses. "It's time you got to know the other side of us…Prince Pretear."

* * *

Ren had to admit it, if only to himself: little by little, he was beginning to believe this impossible fantasy. How could he not, after watching Heisei rip a hole in between the dimensions and introduce them to a strange, multicolored world dubbed "Leafenia"? He struggled with all his might to remain grounded in reality, but it was really hard with the strange flora and fauna of this place. Miyu stood beside him, clinging to his side the way she often did when they were children, her eyes wide and wondering as she stared at their surroundings.

Before them stood Sakura, Hiro, Kirei, Heisei, that one kid with the green hair Ren had almost decked a while back (What was his name again? Something with 'ha' or something like that), some blonde guy that was glaring at Heisei for some reason (well, Ren had to admit that the guy _was_ fairly annoying), and three other boys whom were just kids. Save for Sakura, all of them were wearing weird clothes—the clothes they had been wearing when fighting that monstrosity earlier. Kirei looked to her father, appearing to Ren as if she were waiting for something. When Hiro gave her a nod, Kirei dropped down to kneel on one knee and bowed her head, her right hand pressed over her heart in a salute.

"I am Kirei Awayuki, Leafe Knight of Wind," she began to introduce herself, raising her head to look up at Ren and Miyu with earnest eyes. "From now on, I am at your service, Prince and Princess Pretear."

'_Huh. A rich girl treating commoners like royalty…this is weird,_' Ren thought to himself, a tad astonished by the formal aura Kirei was emitting.

Heisei first removed his glasses before he knelt down next to Kirei and imitated her pose. Glancing up with his unguarded violet eyes, he began his introduction next. "Heisei Musika, Leafe Knight of Sound. It is my honor to serve you, Prince and Princess Pretear."

Ren noted that, though Heisei had mentioned him, he was only gazing at Miyu, as if he were solely pledging himself to her. Ren also noted that Miyu's cheeks were flushed, and he did not like it one bit.

The blonde boy knelt down next. "I am Akaru Hikari, and it is _my_ honor to serve you, Prince and Princess Pretear," he introduced himself, shooting a superior look Heisei's way when he was finished. Beside a slight roll of his eyes, Heisei ignored Akaru.

Hanabi did not kneel; rather, he crossed his arms behind his head and grinned cheekily. "We've already met, but in case you didn't know, the name's Hanabi Hono, I'm the Leafe Knight of Fire, and I'll be happy to work with you!" Hanabi greeted, earning disparaging glances from the elder Leafe Knights.

"This is supposed to be a _formal_ event, baka," the pretty silver-haired boy next to Hanabi chided. Hanabi just continued to wear that dopy grin of his, so the silver-haired boy just huffed and shrugged, then crossed his arms in a "so-what" fashion. "Tsurara Frost, Leafe Knight of Ice, nice to meet you, I guess," Tsurara introduced himself, ignoring the glare his leader—Kirei—shot him.

The second-youngest boy, seeming to realize that all formalities were now out the window, just stood there and gave them a thumbs up. "Yo! I'm Taki, and I'm the Leafe Knight of Water! Lookin' forward to workin' with ya!" Taki greeted in an Osaka accent, earning a collective sigh from everyone around him.

'_What's with these people?_' Ren wanted to know, though he kept the question to himself because he was almost afraid to know the answer. Were strange personalities a given when dealing with supernatural beings?

"Um, um," the smallest of the group began to speak up—was he even in grade school yet? Ren wondered if it was legally acceptable for someone so young to be fighting such dangerous battles. "Uh, I'm Tochi Flora, and I'm the Leafe Knight of Plants. Um, I like flowers, and candy, and the color green—oh! And I LOVE Kirei-nee!" Tochi declared. Ren saw Kirei slap her forehead from his peripheral vision, and he pressed his fist to his mouth to keep from laughing.

"…Uh, um," Miyu suddenly spoke—apparently she felt as if she should say something. "I-I'm Miyu Yamashita. Pl-pleased to meet you. But, um…" Miyu trailed off; it seemed her courage had run out, and she promptly hid behind Ren. He sighed, but his elder brother instincts kicked in and he finished Miyu's sentence.

"What Miyu means is thanks, but no thanks," Ren filled in. "Sorry, but we don't want any part in whatever it is you have going on here."

"But—" Kirei protested, rising to her feet, but Heisei beat her to it.

"What we have 'going on here' is a mission to protect the world, no matter how impossible you may find the concept of caring about others to be," Heisei answered coolly, pissing Ren off. "This is not something you can simply say 'no' to."

"Really? Because I think I just did," Ren challenged, his hands beginning to clench into fists.

Heisei's gaze narrowed. With the absence of his glasses, his eyes appeared fiercer than ever. But Ren was far from backing down, and he nudged Miyu back in case things got physical.

However, before either boy could throw a punch or speak another word, Kirei was suddenly in between them, pushing them both back from each other.

"Time out!" she called, making the time-out sign with her hands before heaving a deep sigh. Ren watched as Kirei turned to Heisei first, hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Heisei, _back off_," Kirei urged, the authority in her tone stronger than ever. "I understand that you're trying help, but you're doing a really crappy job. Besides, as your leader, this is my job. Let me handle it."

Ren could not see Kirei's face, but he wondered what kind of expression she was making that would make Heisei actually step back in surrender. Perhaps Kirei was a much more formidable person than he originally thought.

'_Aw crap_,' Ren cursed in his mind once Kirei turned on him. Whatever powers of persuasion she had just used on Heisei were about to be unleashed full force on him. But Ren's mind was already made up: no matter what Kirei said, he would not waver. He and Miyu did not want this life, and there was nothing Kirei could say that would make him change his mind.

Kirei easily stood her ground in front of Ren; she looked like she was sizing him up. She said nothing, but the serious look in her eyes was back, making Ren a little nervous. The angry, irrational and unreasonable Kirei he could handle—albeit barely—because it was so hard to take her seriously. But now that she was behaving like an adult, Ren felt a grudging respect begin to form for her.

"Ren," Kirei addressed him, and he braced himself, "earlier when we were in my room, I asked you a question: what are you? If you're willing to listen, I can tell you the answer to that question."

'_Damn it._' Ren had to admit it: Kirei already had him intrigued. He had been struggling to answer that question himself ever since she had posed it to him, and was getting nowhere with it. So the thought of having an answer readily given to him was strongly tempting…though Ren sensed that this answer would come with a price. Even so, he gave Kirei a curt nod, encouraging her to continue.

"The answer is simple: you're our only hope."

Ren stared at Kirei, at a loss for words. That was an answer he was _not_ expecting. He wanted to ask Kirei if she was joking, but he could tell he would be wasting his breath by the expression on her face. Despite how her words may sound, Kirei was completely serious.

"You saw with your own eyes what happened today. Our garden was almost completely destroyed, a lot of us were injured, and my mother and father almost died. Yes, our way of life can be deadly…"

Kirei stepped closer to and grabbed Ren's face to make him look at her—he had dropped his gaze because the look in Kirei's eyes was making him feel incredibly guilty. He had no choice now but to meet those eyes—strong, stubborn, and fully aware of what she almost lost today.

"…But if you and Miyu hadn't been here today," she continued in a softer tone, "none of us would be here right now."

'_Damn it!_' What was he supposed to say now?

"…Kirei-san."

Kirei let go of Ren, which allowed him to turn and look at his little sister, whom was now standing beside him again. Her face was sad, but her eyes were dry; there was a graveness about them that Ren had not seen in a long time.

"Kirei-san, do you realize what you're asking of us?" Miyu continued, her tone matching her expression. "You're asking Ren-nii and I to lay our lives on the line for your cause. Judging by what we saw, and what you've been saying, it easily could have been me or Ren-nii who got hurt—or even died—in your fight today. Are you that willing to sacrifice us in your war?"

"Miyu," Ren breathed, every bit as surprised as Kirei appeared to be. He was often so busy protecting Miyu that he also often forgot that she had a mind of her own, and was perfectly capable of thinking for herself. Her logic was sound, and Ren kind of regretted not letting her finish earlier. If she had just gathered her courage a little sooner, this conversation would probably be over already.

However, once Ren glanced at Kirei, he recognized that determined spark in her eyes at once and groaned under his breath. Sound logic or not, Ren knew already that Kirei would not willingly yield to Miyu.

Kirei then proceeded to prove Ren's suspicions correct. "You're misunderstanding me, Miyu. I readily admit that our line of work is dangerous—and will be for you too—but it is our job as Leafe Knights to protect our Pretear no matter what. I'm not asking you to be sacrifices at all…"

Kirei smiled her kind smile at Miyu, visibly disarming the younger girl. "I'm asking you to be our heroes—no, our saviors."

Miyu's eyes widened and her cheeks warmed at the answer Kirei gave her, and Ren heaved a sigh. He could already tell that Kirei had won with Miyu.

After a silent moment, Miyu returned Kirei's smile. "Well, when you put it that way…I'm not really at liberty to refuse, am I?" Ren's sister conceded. With a delighted squeal, Kirei embraced Miyu, celebrating her friend's promise of cooperation. The other Leafe Knights rejoiced as well, all rushing forward to welcome Miyu. Ren took this opportunity to slip away, heading swiftly for the shimmering swirl of light and color that he understood to be the exit to the real world.

"Ren, where are you going?"

Ren halted and huffed in annoyance. Really, why did he think it would be so simple? He reluctantly turned to find the group of supernatural freaks and his sister staring at him, Kirei the closest to him as well as the one who had called out to him.

Ren ignored her for the moment and turned to address his sister. "Miyu, you can do what you want," he told her, ignoring the shocked look she gave him, "I won't stop you. But that also means that it's your funeral, because I refuse to be a part of this."

"Jeez, he's abandoning his own sister," Hanabi stage-whispered to Tsurara, who nodded and sighed tragically.

"Really, how heartless can you get?" Akaru complained aloud. Ren forced himself to ignore these jibes—though a vein was throbbing in his temple—because he knew they were just trying to goad him.

"Ren," Kirei addressed him with a frown, "we don't just need Miyu's help. We need yours too. Won't you change your mind?"

"No," Ren rebutted immediately, turning his back on Kirei. "There's nothing you can do or say that will change my mind."

When Kirei offered no more resistance, Ren resumed his escape plan. He hesitated at the rippling wall of light, testing it with a finger, and then his whole hand, before he deemed it safe to go through. He took a deep breath, stepped forward—

"Yamashita-kun."

Ren stopped, sighing inwardly, and turned to look at his employer. "Yes, Awayuki-san?" he consented to reply, though his expression was a little less than polite. Sakura was probably preparing to fire him for not cooperating anyway…

However, Sakura did not look unfriendly. Rather, she was wearing a pleasant smile as she addressed Ren. "Would you be willing to help us out if I offered to triple what I pay you to be our gardener?"

Ren froze, his eyes widening and jaw dropping of their own account. Did she say "triple"?

"You need the money, right?" Sakura prodded, her smile becoming a devious smirk. "If you accept my daughter's offer, I'm more than willing to draw up a new contract with you."

Ren took a moment to calculate just how much money that was. Let's see…he was paid bi-weekly, which meant two paychecks a month, and if he multiplied that by three…

The number Ren ended up with made him more than happy to accept both Sakura's and Kirei's offer…but if he appeared too eager, he would be at their mercy. So he huffed and crossed his arms, looking away.

"Alright, fine. But I'm not happy about it," he added for effect.

The Leafe Knights cheered at this piece of news.

"All right, Mom!" Kirei praised, and Sakura smirked in a superior manner.

"It's all about knowing how to play the field," she instructed her daughter.

Ren huffed again, the action genuine this time around. The money aside, he was pretty sure he and Miyu had just signed up for another pain-in-the-neck obligation.

* * *

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" Phoenix exclaimed the next day at lunch, his jaw actually hitting the table in shock. The Yamashita siblings sat across from him, Kirei, and Heisei, and they sweatdropped as one as Phoenix ogled them.

"Close your mouth—you'll let flies in," Heisei reprimanded him.

"The whole time you were looking for a Pretear, and you actually had _two_ right in front of you!" Phoenix continued to rant, shaking his head in astonishment. "How does this kind of coincidence happen?"

"Nothing is a coincidence," Kirei answered, quoting her father. As she took a sip of her milk, Phoenix peered at her from the side, looking like he wanted to ask something. "What?" she sighed.

"Your bruise is fading," Phoenix noted, feeling a little awkward when Kirei stiffened. "Uh, I was just wondering if you had run into the Prince of Darkness again…"

Heisei threw his friend a sharp look, but nonetheless answered for Kirei, since she had sunk into low spirits at the mention of the Prince of Darkness. "The coward hasn't shown his face yet."

"Oh," Phoenix said, looking guilty now that his curiosity was sated. "Well…that's good in a way, right?"

"It's also bad in a way, since we have no idea what exactly we're up against," Heisei pointed out, making Phoenix cringe with his brutal honesty.

"I agree," Ren spoke up suddenly, surprising everyone at the table with this declaration—Heisei included. He ignored the way everyone was looking at him and went on, "what's our battle plan anyway? How are we supposed to fight if we don't even know what we're up against?"

Kirei said nothing simply because she had been having the same thoughts: how _were_ they supposed to fight a threat they knew nothing about? Her parents had told her to be patient, since there was nothing they could do until their enemy revealed himself, but she was getting anxious with all this waiting. She would much rather fight than wait—at least then she could let off a little steam.

"You could think that way," Heisei began, breaking Kirei out of her reverie, "or, you could say that we have the same advantage."

Everyone stared blankly at Heisei. When more than a few seconds had passed by, Heisei sighed and adjusted his glasses.

"Come on, it isn't that hard to figure out," he said in a condescending tone, making Kirei and Ren scowl at him while Phoenix and Miyu simply continued to look puzzled. "Think about it: when have two Pretears ever existed at once?"

"Mom—" Kirei began, but Heisei cut her off.

"Is a Pretear past her prime—don't give me that look. She's admitted it herself," Heisei defended himself after noticing Kirei's affronted look. "The same thing happened with your grandmother, correct? When Himeno-san's powers began to wane, our fathers had to search out a new Pretear. Can't you see that the pattern is repeating itself?"

"…I guess," Kirei begrudgingly agreed.

"But the fact that we've found two Pretears at once is a pattern-breaker," Heisei continued, "and the strangest part is that one of them is male."

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Ren interjected, looking a tad disgruntled. "Ever since I've been discovered as a Pretear, you all have been giving me funny looks. Is it that strange for the Pretear to be a guy?"

"Well, yeah," Phoenix replied as gently as he could, "to my knowledge, there has never been a male Pretear before."

"Never?"

"Never. They've always been female," Heisei confirmed, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Appearing more confused than ever, Ren turned his hazel gaze onto Kirei. "But why is that? After all, you have a girl here claiming that she's a Knight."

"I AM a Knight!" Kirei protested heatedly.

"Ah, well, she's a bit of an anomaly as well," Heisei answered, looking amused for some secret reason. "She's our first ever female Leafe Knight, Kirei."

"Ah ha, you said the title!" Phoenix exclaimed, looking strangely delighted.

"What are you talking about?" Kirei questioned her cousin in mystification.

"Um, but," Miyu spoke up for the first time that afternoon. "From the way Awayuki-san explained it, 'Preting' is a process that traditionally takes place between a boy Knight and a girl Pretear, right?"

"Oh ho," Heisei laughed softly, his glasses catching the light. "Would you like to know why that is…?"

'_Why am I suddenly getting a bad feeling?_' Kirei speculated, getting just a bit nervous after seeing the smirk playing across Heisei's features.

"The process of 'Preting' is a delicate thing—more so than people would originally think. The offering of a Knight's hand to a Pretear is a sacred invitation, one that must be taken seriously, if the two are to join together properly. When a Pretear accepts a Knight's hand, she is giving him permission to enter her body. In return, the Knight must protect and cherish the Pretear's body, and together, they create a brand new being—and that is the meaning of 'Preting'. Any questions?" Heisei finished his explanation to find that everyone else's faces were cherry red.

"Uh, Heisei, that kind of explanation…" Phoenix began, but seemed unable to finish. Kirei seized Phoenix's unfinished sentence.

"Baka, don't explain it like that! Do you have any idea how that sounds to other people?" She raged, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with Ren.

"What? It's true," Heisei rebutted, completely unconcerned. "By the way, Yamashita-kun—since you happen to be the Pretear in this scenario, that makes you Kirei's "princess"."

Unbidden to Miyu's mind came the image of her brother in a frouffy princess dress, and she had to clamp both hands over her mouth to smother her laughter. Meanwhile, Ren appeared to not appreciate this description of his relationship with Kirei at all. Abruptly, he roughly pushed his chair back and stood up.

"I quit," he announced before marching away with his lunch tray.

"Ah! No, Ren, you're not allowed to quit! We have a contract and everything! Damn it, look what you did, Heisei!"

"So what? Let him quit. We still have one Pretear to depend on…isn't that right, Yamashita-chan?"

"Huh? O-oh, b-b-but I-I-I—"

"Somehow, I feel like we've forgotten about the original point of this conversation…ah, Kirei, don't! You're not allowed to try and beat Ren into submission!"

* * *

"Ah, Kirei-chan, your face!" Ms. Utani clucked her tongue as she turned Kirei's face this way and that way, her pitying eyes on the dark patch of skin on Kirei's cheek. "What a pesky bruise! I see that it's going away, but try and hurry it along, okay?"

"I'm doing my best, Utani-sensei," Kirei promised, thinking of all the concealer and dark spot removal make-up she had stocked up on from her aunt. "Uh, but it's only been two days since I got it, so…"

"Ahhh," Ms. Utani sighed gustily, "I guess it can't be helped then. Kotomi-chan, come here!"

'_Eh? Kotomi-chan?_' Kirei turned to look as a pretty girl with spiral curls approached, answering Ms. Utani's summons. Ms. Utani clapped her hands loudly, earning the auditorium's attention.

"Listen, everyone! Today, we're going to be practicing with Kirei-chan's understudy, Kotomi-chan!" Ms. Utani announced.

"_What_?" Kirei protested, looking horror-struck. "B-but Utani-sensei! I can still play my part! I can still—"

"Not with that bruise you can't!" Ms. Utani swiftly refuted, pointing a finger at Kirei's face. "Until I'm absolutely sure that blemish will disappear before show time, we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario! After all, Ren-kun is the one who will be wearing the mask, not _you_, Kirei-chan!"

"Leave it to me," Kotomi spoke up, a cool note in her confident voice. "I've been practicing for this…and my skin is flawless, as you can see."

Kirei pouted at how smooth and sparkly Kotomi's skin was. How dare this nobody try to upstage her! "Don't forget, you're just my _understudy_," Kirei reminded her, emphasizing "understudy" enough to anger Kotomi.

"Well with your recklessness, you may not be the lead for long!" Kotomi shot back. "What kind of lead goes and injures her face, anyway? That's just asking to be replaced!"

Kirei and Kotomi glared at one another, the air between them seeming to sizzle and spark with their tempers. Sensing violence if she did not intervene, Ms. Utani smartly stepped in between the two divas.

"Now now, enough is enough!" she scolded them. "There will be no fighting here! In order for this production to work, we must be as loving as a family, right Pakutesu-sensei?"

"…whatever…" Ms. Pakutesu managed to mutter; she had not had her seventh cup of coffee for the day yet, and she was behaving a little sluggish.

"Right!" Ms. Utani cheered, ignoring Ms. Pakutesu's lethargic state as usual. "Okay, time to get this show on the road, no pun intended! Ren-kun, if you please!"

"Ah! Utani-sensei, wait!" Kirei called, still desperate to continue with practice as usual. She began to run after Ms. Utani, but a heavy hand clamped down on her shoulder, holding her back. Bewildered, Kirei looked up to find Ren standing behind her, the owner of the hand on her shoulder. He glanced down at her with a short huff.

"Just let it go. You'll just cause everyone trouble," he advised before moving past Kirei and over to where Kotomi and Ms. Utani waited.

'_Ehhh? You're on Kotomi's side? Ren, you jerk!_' Kirei fumed at him in her mind, very unhappy with the way things were turning out. When Ms. Utani had finished giving Ren and Kotomi their instructions, she noticed that Kirei was still standing to the side, bitterness plain on her face.

"Kirei-chan, why don't you watch from the side for today?" Ms. Utani suggested cheerfully.

"Uh, but—" Kirei began to protest once more, but once she sensed the growing aura of impatience behind Ms. Utani's smile, she finally gave in. "All right…"

"Good! Okay, Ren-kun, Kotomi-chan, from the top!" Ms. Utani coached, and the rehearsal began.

Kirei continued to pout, of course, but once she actually listened to Kotomi's singing and watched her acting, the young heiress found herself respecting her understudy's work…even if just a little bit.

'_Stupid bruise,_' Kirei cursed the blemish, poking at it gingerly. '_If it would just go away, that could be me right now…_'

"Cheer up, Awayuki-san. A frown doesn't suit you."

Kirei jumped and turned to find Yuki Kaneiro standing next to her, wearing his usual heart-throb smile. Kirei smiled in response.

"Ah, Kaneiro-san! It's been a while, hasn't it? Where've you been?"

Yuki's smile turned a tad sheepish at this question. "Ah…well, this and that happened…"

'_That's a rather vague explanation,_' Kirei thought to herself before remembering something Heisei had said the other day: _"…It appears that Kaneiro-san has been dealing with some family issues that have detained him from coming to practice…"_

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Kirei abruptly apologized, realizing too late that her question was intrusive. "I didn't mean to be rude! You don't have to answer if you don't want to!"

Yuki appeared surprised at this outburst before smiling yet again. "It's okay, I don't mind," he assured Kirei, who breathed a sigh of relief at this news. "Besides, having you worry about me makes me a little happy."

'_Actually, I was just curious…_' Kirei thought, but Yuki's smile was so bright that she did not want to ruin it with her blunt honesty. So she just chose to stay silent and smiled faintly back.

"Oh? Awayuki-san, what happened to your face?" Yuki suddenly asked; it appeared he had just noticed the bruise.

"Oh, uh, well, this and that happened…" she replied, echoing Yuki as she laughed nervously. She was startled out of her laughter, however, by the thumb that caressed the bruise.

"That's such a shame," Yuki sighed, his face tragic as his thumb continued to stroke Kirei's cheek, "you have such a pretty face too…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Kirei could see the other girls in the room—a.k.a. Yuki Kaneiro's Fan Club—glaring holes at her for daring to touch "their Kaneiro-sama" as they often referred to Yuki. Hastily, she batted Yuki's hand away.

"Ah, it's nothing, nothing at all!" Kirei insisted, her nervous laughter returning. "It'll be gone soon enough, so it's nothing to worry about!"

"Is that so…" Yuki replied quietly, letting his hand fall back to his side. He appeared to want to say something else, but before he could get a word in edgewise, Ms. Utani was suddenly calling for him.

"Yoo-hoo! Yuki-kun! We need our Raoul on stage now!" Ms. Utani beckoned for the school idol. Squeals from every corner of the room were emitted after this summons, and Kirei sweatdropped.

"Looks like your public is calling for you. Good lu—ack! I mean break a leg!" Kirei corrected herself, cursing the fact that she had gotten the saying wrong twice in a row. Nonetheless, Yuki laughed good-naturedly.

"Thanks. I look forward to practicing with you soon, Awayuki-san," Yuki bade goodbye, flashing Kirei a dazzling smile before joining Ms. Utani and a star-struck Kotomi onstage. Every girl in the auditorium held their breath when Yuki began to sing "All I Ask Of You", and they all erupted into squeal-filled applause when he finished, the noise overtaking Kotomi's part of the song.

"Sheesh. As expected of the school idol," Kirei sighed, looking more amused than exasperated.

"Indeed," answered Heisei, whom was suddenly standing next to Kirei. However, she had sensed his familiar aura approach this time, so she was not startled in the slightest.

"Shouldn't you be helping Pakutesu-sensei?" Kirei pointed out, glancing up at Heisei.

Heisei went "hmph" and readjusted his glasses. "Pakutesu-sensei is asleep, so I figured now was a good time for a break," he explained, and Kirei sweatdropped at the sight of the Theatre teacher sound asleep at the desk in front of the stage. "But nevermind that: what were you doing getting so chummy with Yuki Kaneiro just now?"

"What were _you_ doing spying on me?" Kirei shot back, looking displeased as usual with Heisei's overprotective behavior. When he did not answer, Kirei let out a short huff. "Not that it's any of your business, but we were just talking."

"About what?"

"Does it matter?"

"I was just wondering what was said to make him touch your face like that," Heisei answered in a would-be nonchalant voice; there was an undercurrent of danger in his tone. Kirei involuntarily blushed at this reminder.

"I-it was nothing special," Kirei denied, cringing at the fact that she sounded guilty for some reason. "He was just concerned about my bruise, that's all."

Heisei readjusted his glasses once more, looking down at Kirei. "What bruise?"

Kirei returned his steady gaze with a confused look of her own. "What do you mean, 'what bruise'? The one on my cheek, remember?"

"There's no bruise there," Heisei told her, and Kirei stared back at him like he had turned into a Demon Larvae.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded to know. In response, Heisei merely held up a hand mirror that he produced from somewhere. Kirei took a good look at herself and gasped in surprise. "Wha—where did it go?" she yelped, completely nonplussed. "It was there just a minute ago! How could it have disappeared so quickly?"

"Kirei-chan, what's all the fuss!" Ms. Utani chided as she approached Kirei and Heisei. "We _do_ have rehearsal going on right now, even if you're not directly involved—ah! Your bruise is gone! What happened?"

"Um…" Kirei stalled, unsure of how to answer Ms. Utani when she herself had no idea what was going on. "Well—"

"Ohhh, wait, don't tell me," Ms. Utani suddenly urged, her eyes sparkling. "Determined to do your best for the play, you went and bought the best cover-up money could buy and applied it flawlessly to hide your bruise? Why didn't you just do that earlier? If I had known you could make your bruise disappear like that, there wouldn't have been a problem in the first place! Okay, time to switch! Kotomi-chan, you're done for today!"

"What? But—!" Kotomi began to object, but Ms. Utani was too busy directing Miyu and Kirei for one of their scenes together to pay attention to the understudy's concerns. The rest of the staff moved accordingly to Ms. Utani's instructions, leaving Kotomi in a corner by herself. The script she held in her hands began to crinkle as her grip tightened, and Kotomi turned on her heel and fled the stage without another word.

Heisei watched this play out, and then removed his glasses to chew on the end of them.

"How interesting…"

* * *

"Stupid Kirei Awayuki! Why did she get the lead in the play, anyway? I can sing just as well! I've been practicing just as hard! I deserve this just as much as she does!"

In her fit of anger, Kotomi threw her script to the ground, letting the loose pages scatter everywhere. She stared down at the carefully annotated and highlighted script, breathing hard. And then her expression became miserable, and she sank to the floor to gather up her script. It took a minute to put some of the pages back in order, but soon enough, it was good as new. Kotomi hugged her script to her chest and sighed.

"Who am I kidding…I was made the understudy for a reason. I'm not good enough to play the lead…"

A few tears escaped Kotomi's eyes and fell onto her script as she wept silently, all alone in that hallway.

"_**Who says you aren't good enough…?**_"

Kotomi's head jerked up in surprise. She looked all around her, but there was no one there. Kotomi began to wonder if she was hearing things.

"_**You said it yourself, right? You can sing just as well, and you have been practicing just as much. But I don't believe that you deserve it as much as Kirei Awayuki…I believe you deserve it even more than she does…**_"

This strange voice seemed to echo around and within Kotomi, sounding everywhere and nowhere at once. She gazed steadily at her script, remembering all the work she had put into practicing the correct expressions to go with her lines as well as memorizing all her cues.

"…You're right," she agreed slowly, "I deserve this even more. I'll bet that Kirei Awayuki didn't even try! She probably just threw her daddy's money around to get what she wanted, like always! That brat thinks she owns the school just because her family owns the island, but I'll show her. I'll show everyone!"

As Kotomi's bitterness and rage grew, a purple glittering butterfly flitted over to her, landing on the script she held. The sinister voice from everywhere and nowhere chuckled.

"_**Yes…let your dark feelings grow and blossom, my darling flower desperate for the limelight. Give me your anger…give me your hate…give into the darkness within your heart, Kotomi, and become my Puppet of Darkness!**_"

Something deep inside Kotomi—something that had been festering for quite some time—was suddenly released, the raw power too much for her body. The last coherent thought Kotomi was aware of before she blacked out was this:

'_If I can't be the lead in the play…__**then there might as well not be a play at all…**_'

* * *

Ren nearly bit his tongue in the middle of his line. A sudden freezing sensation was gripping his body, and he clutched at his throat, feeling like he was choking. Ms. Utani and Kirei looked at him strangely.

"Ren-kun, are you all right? Did you forget your line?" Ms. Utani asked, peering worriedly at her star actor. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

Kirei, sensing that all was not right, approached Ren herself and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ren?" she asked, looking up into his face. Ren met her gaze, his expression fierce and confused at the same time.

"Something's wrong…" he muttered to her, somehow knowing that Kirei would understand, even if he did not.

Kirei's expression grew solemn. This was not good. They were in the middle of practice, and Ren said something was wrong. Kirei was taught a long time ago that a Knight should always trust a Pretear's instincts, so if Ren was sensing something was amiss…

"Miyu-chan!" a cast member cried out suddenly, and Ren and Kirei turned to find Miyu sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"S-so cold…" she whimpered, wearing the same bewildered expression Ren had just a second ago.

Kirei bit her lip. So it wasn't just Ren; Miyu felt it too. This was definitely not good. Across the auditorium, she met Heisei's eyes. A silent understanding passed between the two, and Heisei swiftly moved to where Miyu was as Kirei turned to deal with their confused Choir teacher.

"Ah, Utani-sensei, it looks like both Ren and Miyu aren't feeling very well. I wouldn't be surprised if they caught that bug that's been going around," Kirei swiftly lied through her teeth, surreptitiously nudging Ren when he shot her a puzzled look. "Heisei and I will escort them to the infirmary so they can rest! Excuse us!" Kirei turned tail, seized one of Ren's arms, and dragged him away before Ms. Utani could utter a single word of objection. Heisei had swept up a blushing Miyu into his arms, and he and Kirei continued to run until they had successfully escaped the auditorium.

"Well?" Heisei asked as soon as he had set Miyu down on her own two feet. She merely stared up at him blankly, making the Knight of Sound huff in irritation. "The Demon Larvae! The presence you're feeling—_where is it?_"

"Uh," Miyu stammered, frightened by Heisei's harsh tone and scary expression. "Um, I-I-"

Heisei huffed again and muttered something that sounded like "useless" under his breath. Kirei elbowed him in the ribs in retribution.

"Don't yell at her, baka," she scolded, "it's _your_ fault she's so flustered. You could have asked nicely." Kirei turned to her timid friend with a gentle smile. "Miyu-chan? Can you tell us where you're sensing the Demon Larvae? Do you know where the sensation is strongest?"

Miyu stared back at Kirei, her eyes wide and afraid. "I-is that what this is? It feels…_awful_." Miyu shuddered and hugged herself again. Kirei felt a surge of pity run through her. Being a Pretear was tough.

"I know, Miyu-chan. But we really need to know where it's coming from before anyone gets hurt. Can you pinpoint it for us? Please?"

Miyu looked into Kirei's pleading eyes, her own hazel gaze uncertain. "…I'm not sure," she admitted after a moment. "It's…it's overwhelming. It feels like it's everywhere…"

'_That doesn't really help us…_' Kirei thought, though she tried to keep the disappointment off her face. She straightened up and was about to suggest they split up and search the school when she heard footsteps retreating. Turning, Kirei noticed that Ren was walking away from them. He stopped when he reached the end of the hall and turned to face the right, his face intensely focused.

"…Here," he finally spoke without looking at the rest of them. "It's strongest down here."

As if in a trance, Ren continued that way. After a stunned silence, Kirei, Heisei and Miyu followed after him.

"Thank goodness. I almost forgot Ren was a Pretear too!" Kirei said, giggling a little in relief.

Ren led them outside the entrance of the school, and what awaited them was not a pretty sight.

"Holy hell!" Kirei exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of the monstrously large Demon Larvae. "Is it me, or are they breeding larger and larger?"

"No matter what size it is, it has to be stopped," Heisei pointed out. Kirei nodded in agreement, and in a flash, they had transformed into their Leafe Knight uniforms. Soaring into the air, Kirei maneuvered her hands in order to blast a wind attack at the Demon Larvae, but before she could even aim, Heisei threw out an arm to stop her. "No. Not yet," he urged, causing Kirei to give him a strange look. "Look, in the center of its body…look familiar?"

Kirei was about to ask what the hell Heisei was talking about, but once she actually took a good look, her eyes widened.

"Kotomi-san!" Kirei cried, horror-struck at the fact that her understudy was encased in the middle of the Demon Larvae. Her eyes were dull, and in her arms she carried a stack of papers that were pulsing with a strange dark light. Kirei tried calling out to her again, but Kotomi seemed unable to hear her. The Demon Larvae itself appeared completely oblivious to their presence, and was sluggishly making its way to the left wing of the school. Heisei and Kirei lowered themselves to the ground near Miyu and Ren, curiously watching the progress the Demon Larvae was making. When a slimy tentacle emerged from the body and was raised high over the building, Kirei abruptly understood what the intent was.

"It's trying to destroy the auditorium!" Kirei shouted. Quickly, she made a horizontal chopping motion, and her air attack sliced through the raised tentacle, detaching it from the Demon Larvae. The tentacle fell harmlessly to the ground—too close to the building for comfort—but now the Demon Larvae was angry. Turning on Kirei and company, the Demon Larvae swelled and began shooting a rapid dark seed beam at them. Kirei threw herself into Ren's waist and used her momentum to throw them both out of the way while Heisei had picked up Miyu and leapt into the air, successfully avoiding the attack.

"_Don't get in my way…_"

Kirei raised her head to stare; wasn't that Kotomi's voice just now? Kotomi's eyes were still dull, but if Kirei squinted, she could just make out the movement of the other girl's lips.

"_Don't interfere. You don't understand my feelings…you don't know my pain…_"

Frowning, Kirei got to her feet and brushed herself off before fixing a determined gaze on Kotomi. "No, I don't understand," she readily admitted, "so explain it to me."

"_You've always been in the spotlight…_" Kotomi continued, her voice echoing all around Kirei. "_You don't know what it's like to be me…no one recognizes my talent…no one realizes that I'm just as great—no, __**better**__ than you. This play was my chance to show everyone what I could do…but then you stole that too. Instead of the lead, I was made your __**understudy**__ of all things! I've had enough…if I can't be the lead, then there won't be a play!_"

"…That's it?" Kirei deadpanned after a moment of silence, "you're doing all of this because you're _jealous_ of me? That's stupid!"

Kotomi's dull eyes tightened. "_SHUT UP!_" she shrieked, and the dark seed beam returned, aimed right at Kirei.

"Kirei!"

Before Kirei realized it, she was on the ground again, but this time Ren had thrown himself into her. She looked up at him like he was insane.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, struggling to sit up, but not having much luck with Ren's weight pressing down on her. He glared down at her in return.

"What are _you_ doing?" he shot right back. "Antagonizing a girl who is in control of a demonic monster is _not_ the smartest decision to make, you know!"

"Oh butt out!" Kirei growled. Ren and Kirei were soon distracted from their glare fest when Heisei touched down near them, putting Miyu down next to him.

"I hate to interrupt," Heisei began, not sounding the least bit repentant, "but now is not exactly a good time to be fighting amongst yourselves."

Ren said nothing in return; he got to his feet, consenting to pull Kirei up as well. Belatedly, she realized that she should have thanked Ren for saving her instead of yelling at him…but that would have to wait a little longer. Kotomi had once again turned her attention to the left wing of the school, her vendetta far from forgotten.

"Kotomi-san, stop this!" Kirei called out again, earning Kotomi's attention. "Destroying the auditorium won't make you happy—and you'll definitely ruin your chances at becoming the lead!"

"_Shut up!_" Kotomi ordered once again. "_As if I have a chance with you around! You're the daughter of the family who owns this island, and the apple of our Choir teacher's eye! Just how am I supposed to compete against such an unfair advantage?_"

Kirei stiffened, as did Ren. From his peripheral vision, he could see the subtle pain in Kirei's eyes, mostly masked by rage. He had caused that look once, and it had been burned into his memory so that he would never make the same mistake twice, would never have to see that look again. And yet, here it was anyway, caused by the words of another. Did everyone on the island view Kirei this way? If so, did no one else realize how it affected her?

"…You're so stupid…" Kirei mumbled under her breath, her body trembling slightly in anger. She looked up and shot Kotomi a glare that could melt icebergs. "None of that has anything to do with this!"

Kotomi paused, the Demon Larvae freezing along with her as her heart wavered. "_What…_"

"When performing a play, money and status aren't worth jack! The only thing that matters is talent!" Kirei pointed an accusing finger at Kotomi. "If you're so pathetic that you'd rather make excuses instead of trusting your own abilities, you don't even deserve to be called my understudy!"

"…_Kirei-san…_" Kotomi whispered. A sudden pulse from the papers she was carrying coursed through Kotomi, and she cried out from the pain.

"We have to save her, Heisei!" Kirei asserted, turning to the Knight of Sound to see if he had any ideas on how to go about it. All he did was give her a curt nod before turning to Miyu.

"Miyu," he addressed her by her first name, causing Miyu's face to catch fire, "will you Prete with me?"

"Ah," Miyu began, but once her eyes locked with Heisei's she found herself reaching for his outstretched hand. "Uh, all right…"

As soon as Heisei's long fingers closed around Miyu's tiny hand, there was a bright flash of light, a multitude of colors, and then the Pretear of Sound was present. Looking a little more self-assured, Miyu leapt into the air, soaring over the Demon Larvae.

"_I sensed it the last time I Preted with you,_" Heisei spoke to Miyu's mind, the close sound of his voice making her flush pink. "_You are overflowing with Leafe. There's a pureness to you that makes it special._"

Miyu kept silent, desperately hoping that Heisei could not feel the pounding of her heart…though she suspected he probably could.

"_I have a theory we could try,_" Heisei continued, oblivious to Miyu's flustered state—or perhaps he was merely ignoring it. "_If it works, we may be able to save Kotomi-san from herself._"

"…And if it doesn't?" Miyu asked, almost too afraid to voice the question.

"…_Well, let's cross that bridge when we get to it,_" Heisei finished darkly, making Miyu nervous.

Meanwhile, back down on the ground, Kirei had turned to Ren and was holding out her right hand.

"Us too, Ren," she urged. Ren stared at her hand, his expression akin to a look one would wear after being forced to swallow something disgusting. Kirei put her free hand on her hip and huffed in exasperation.

"Is the 'princess' comment Heisei made earlier still bothering you?" she demanded to know.

"No…a little," Ren admitted with a sigh, "but that's not why I'm hesitating—"

The rest of Ren's sentence was drowned out by Kirei's loud, dramatic sigh. "Fine," she grumbled, changing the position of her right hand so that she was holding it sideways. "A handshake," she announced, "showing that we are equals. No princesses here. Better?"

Although he did not get to finish what it was he actually wanted to say, Ren had to smile—just a little bit—at Kirei's efforts. "Better," he agreed, and he took Kirei's hand.

The transformation went smoother this time, now that Kirei was expecting it. She was able to let go of her physical form and join together with Ren, letting her power flow through him as it did in her own body. The light from the transformation faded, and Ren was reborn as the Wind Pretear.

"_Let's go!_" Kirei cheered. With a nod, Ren took off into the sky, rocketing towards where his sister hovered. As they approached, Kirei noticed that she was holding what looked like a harp. As Miyu began to strum the harp, a beautiful melody began to play, sounding like a lullaby. The Demon Larvae swelled and shrank to the music, as if it could not make up its mind on whether or not it wanted to be small or big. Kotomi was sinking through the membrane of the Demon Larvae, and as the last note was plucked on the harp, Kotomi was spat out. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

Abruptly, Heisei and Miyu separated. Heisei had Miyu in his arms before she could fall to the ground, and he called over to Ren.

"That script there is the core of the Demon Larvae," Heisei instructed, pointing. "If you destroy it now, the Demon Larvae will be vanquished."

"Why is he talking like he's a knight from the Middle Ages?" Ren murmured, knowing that Kirei could hear him.

"_He's got a flair for the dramatic, in case you haven't noticed,_" she replied with a lofty sigh.

'_That's funny coming from you._' Ren chose to keep that particular observation to himself and summoned his azure blade. With a loud battle cry, Ren dove and plunged his sword deep into the Demon Larvae, piercing through Kotomi's script. The Demon Larvae roared uselessly, and then collapsed into nothing, its remains dissipating into dark ash.

Victorious, the three heroes lowered themselves back to the ground. Ren could feel Kirei slipping away from him, so he closed his eyes and let the transformation undo itself. Kirei appeared next to him a minute later, looking invigorated.

"We did it!" she cheered, grabbing a startled Miyu's hands and jumping up and down in her excitement.

Heisei smirked and put his glasses back on as he de-morphed back into his school uniform. "It's a good thing my plan worked: I'm not sure how we would have explained Kotomi-san's murder."

"That's not funny," Kirei chided, her excitement vanishing at such a morbid comment. "But you're right—we'll have to be more careful from now on. I'm not sure how we would have explained damages done to the school without Tochi's containment field…"

"Well, now that we have a better understanding of what we're facing, things will go smoother next time," Heisei predicted, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

'_I hope so…_' Kirei thought to herself, anxiously biting her lip. True, things could have been a lot worse today, but the fact that an attack had happened at their school was not a good sign. After this, they would have to constantly be on their guard, no matter what. Things were only going to get tougher for Kirei, the other knights, and the Prince and Princess Pretear.

"Ungh…"

'_Oh crap, she's waking up!_' Kirei realized, turning to find Kotomi stirring. She hastily de-morphed just as Kotomi began to blink her eyes open.

"Uh…huh? What happened…?" Kotomi asked sluggishly, slowly sitting up and rubbing her head. "I was in rehearsal…wasn't I?"

"You fainted out here," Kirei fibbed to cover their butts as she knelt down in front of Kotomi. "Are you all right, Kotomi-san?"

"Um…I think so…" Kotomi fully opened her eyes and realized whom she was speaking with. "Ah, Kirei-san! W-what are _you_ doing out here?" Kotomi demanded to know, the sour note in her voice sounding a tad forced. Kirei rolled her eyes good-naturedly. If Kotomi had enough energy to act aggravated, she was going to be fine.

"Rehearsal is still going on, isn't it?" Kotomi questioned, just now noticing that Ren, Miyu and Heisei were all there as well. "What are the four of you—oh no! Where's my script?" Kotomi abruptly switched gears, having just realized that her script was not with her. "Oh, I don't believe this! I just had it!"

Kirei glanced over her shoulder at Heisei, suddenly feeling guilty for destroying Kotomi's precious script. Heisei merely shrugged, signaling that there was nothing they could do.

"…My script is still in the auditorium," Kirei spoke up, interrupting Kotomi's frantic search. "If you need it to practice, you can have mine."

Kotomi looked surprised for a moment, but then her expression turned sour. "I don't need your charity," she began to protest, but Kirei stood up before she could finish.

"It's not charity; it's a fighting chance," Kirei corrected, smirking down at Kotomi. "After all, we are rivals."

Kotomi stared up at Kirei, certain that she had heard wrong. "Rivals…?" she questioned slowly, as if the word was foreign to her.

Kirei nodded. "Yup. We're both fighting for the same part, but we're also equals, so that makes us rivals!"

Kotomi's face flushed involuntarily, and she stared down at her lap. "You think of me as your equal…?" she asked quietly, hardly daring to believe it.

"Of course!"

Kotomi's head shot up to find Kirei's smirk softening into a smile as she held out a hand to Kotomi.

"Why wouldn't I view you as an equal? You're pretty talented, after all," Kirei admitted. With a slow smile of her own, Kotomi reached up and accepted Kirei's hand—and her kindness as well.

Once she was on her feet, however, Kotomi pulled her hand from Kirei's grasp and crossed her arms with a "hmph!" "Fine, since you're so adamant about it, I'll take your script. But don't think this means that I owe you any favors, Awayuki! I'm still going to give it all I've got and hope you catch a cold on opening night!"

Kirei grinned in response, the challenge Kotomi issued accepted. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

"Kotomi-chan! There you are!" Ms. Utani sighed as Kotomi entered the auditorium. "Honestly, I've been having my actors and actresses dropping like flies today! Kirei-chan and Heisei-kun aren't even back yet!"

"Oh, about that," Kotomi spoke up, thinking of the request Kirei had asked of her just before they parted ways. "I ran into Kirei-san on my way back inside. She said she had to deal with a family emergency and wouldn't be returning to practice today."

"What?" Ms. Utani yelped, taken aback. "Why that's so sudden! I assume Heisei-kun has left with her?"

"Yes, ma'am. And I think the Yamashita siblings went home because they still weren't feeling well."

"Oh dear," Ms. Utani sighed once more. "Well, I suppose this would be good practice for all the understudies…Kotomi-chan, are you feeling up to it?"

"Yes—oh, just let me grab my script!" Kotomi requested before dashing off to the spot Kirei had left her script. Upon picking it up, Kotomi realized that the whole script was laden with notes about cues and all of Christine's lines were highlighted. Kotomi let out a short breath of laughter.

'_I guess Kirei-san was working harder than I thought…well, not a problem. I still won't lose!_'

* * *

"Ahhh, I'm so tired," Kirei complained, stretching her arms over her head. Beside her, Heisei smirked.

"What for? It was the Pretears that did all the work," he pointed out. Kirei scowled at him.

"Yeah, but we helped! Oh, by the way, good job, you guys!" Kirei turned to congratulate the Yamashita siblings belatedly. Miyu giggled at Kirei, but Ren was strangely silent.

'_Come to think of it, he hasn't said anything since the battle ended_,' Kirei noted, frowning in concern.

"Yo, Ren. Can I talk to you for a bit?" Kirei requested, doubling back to stand in front of the Yamashita brother. He paused, quirking a brow at Kirei. Heisei and Miyu slowed their steps as well, but Kirei waved a hand at them. "You two go on ahead. We'll catch up."

Miyu flushed and peered shyly up at Heisei—Kirei wondered if she was afraid to be alone with him. Heisei, for his part, sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. But hurry up," he commanded before turning and continuing down the sidewalk, Miyu following uncertainly behind him.

Once they were out of ear shot, Kirei turned her chocolate eyes on Ren. "Okay, what's up?" she asked, her tone all-business. "You've barely said one word this whole time—are you okay?"

Ren frowned at this question. "I should be asking you that," he replied, surprising Kirei. "Are _you_ okay?"

As she stared at his intense expression, Kirei began to realize that Ren must have been worried still about what happened yesterday. Kirei smiled and struck a "Victory!" pose.

"I'm a-okay," she promised, grinning at the cheesiness of her words. At her assurance, Ren sighed deeply.

"Good," he said earnestly. Kirei blinked, surveying Ren curiously.

"You were _that_ worried?" she asked, astonished. Ren rubbed the back of his neck, his slight blush nearly invisible in the light of the sunset.

"Is there something wrong with that?" he asked defensively. "That's why I was worried about Preting today too…"

'_So that was why…huh,_' Kirei thought to herself. Abruptly, she started to snicker, the snickers turning into giggles, and then the giggles evolving into full-blown laughter.

"What's so funny?" Ren demanded to know, his face growing redder. Kirei ceased her laughter for his sake, though a giggle or two still slipped by as she sobered up.

"Nothing. Just…you're a lot nicer than I thought you were," she complimented, teasing him just a little bit. Ren looked away, having no response as he continued to rub the back of his neck. "But listen—you don't need to worry about me, okay? It's my job as a Leafe Knight to protect you from harm in battle. I double as your sword and your shield when you fight, so if I get injured, it just means that it's working," Kirei explained. Ren turned to look at her, his expression incredulous. Kirei recognized that look, and she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes as the predictable objection left Ren's mouth:

"But…you're a girl," he said. Kirei gasped and looked down at herself in mock surprise.

"Ohmygosh, NO WAY! When did _this_ happen?" she overreacted. Ren scowled at her retort.

"You know what I mean," he said.

"Yes, sadly I do," Kirei confirmed, crossing her arms. "And my answer to that is the same answer I give to everyone else who feels the need to point out my gender: so what? What does my being a girl have to do with anything? Are you saying I can't do my job because I'm a girl?"

"I'm not being sexist," Ren grumbled, insulted by the insinuation.

"Oh really? You could've fooled me."

"Kirei—"

"I've been at this job a lot longer than you would think, Ren, and anyone will tell you I'm _perfectly _capable at what I do."

"That's not what I meant—"

"What did you mean, then?"

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me!" Ren burst out, irritated that Kirei had refused to let him explain for so long. His response stayed Kirei's tongue for once, and all she could do was stare at him. "I mean…if you're hurt because of me, I'm not really doing my job as a man, am I…?" Ren trailed off, clearly too embarrassed to finish.

'_Wow…that's kind of…sweet,_' Kirei speculated, '_who is this guy and what did he do with Grumpy Ren Yamashita?_'

Before Kirei could interrogate this nice Ren-lookalike, Heisei was calling back to them from a distance.

"Hey! Hurry up or I'll kidnap Yamashita-chan and leave you two behind!" Heisei threatened, ignoring Miyu's squeaks of surprise. Ren scowled immediately at this warning.

"Over my dead body," he growled under his breath and took off running after Heisei, a startled Kirei following close behind. Strangely, she felt almost disappointed that their conversation had ended so abruptly—she didn't think Ren had ever been that honest with her before. He was also kind of adorable when he was embarrassed…

Kirei shook her head to dispel her mind of such thoughts. '_No no, Kirei, don't go there,_' she warned herself severely. '_You and Ren are partners now, and that's the way it needs to stay in order for that partnership to remain functional. Sure, you've always found him attractive, but…no, stop it! Ren is a FRIEND. He's your co-star in the play. He's Miyu's older brother. That's ALL._'

With renewed resolve, Kirei pushed herself to go faster, feeling as if she was chasing after the setting sun as well as her friends.

* * *

**A/N****: WHOA. 30 pages. I believe that's a record for this story. ._.;**

**Hiro: It's because you talk too much.**

**MuraSakura: (Flips Hiro the bird) ANYWAY, be grateful you guys! I'm coming perilously close to the deadline of a couple of my papers, but I chose to finish this chapter instead, so show your appreciation by REVIEWING! Thank you!**

**~MuraSakura**


End file.
